SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Locking”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 199 records · Page 11

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1995

Load measurement system with load cell lock-out mechanism

In the frame work of the project Shuttle Plume Impingement Flight Experiment (SPIFEX), a Load Measurement System was developed and fabricated to measure the impingement force of Shuttle Reaction Control System (RCS) jets. The Load Measurement System is a force sensing system that measures any combination of normal and shear forces up to 40 N (9 lbf) in the normal direction and 22 N (5 lbf) in the shear direction with an accuracy of +/- 0.04 N (+/- 0.01 lbf) Since high resolution is required for the force measurement, the Load Measurement System is built with highly sensitive load cells. To protect these fragile load cells in the non-operational mode from being damaged due to flight loads such as launch and landing loads of the Shuttle vehicle, a motor driven device known as the Load Cell Lock-Out Mechanism was built. This Lock-Out Mechanism isolates the load cells from flight loads and re-engages the load cells for the force measurement experiment once in space. With this highly effective protection system, the SPIFEX load measurement experiment was successfully conducted on STS-44 in September 1994 with all load cells operating properly and reading impingement forces as expected.

Le, Thang↗

NASA NTRS1995

Automatic locking knee brace joint

This invention is an apparatus for controlling the pivotal movement of a knee brace comprising a tang-and-clevis joint that has been uniquely modified. Both the tang and the clevis have a set of teeth that, when engaged, can lock the tang and the clevis together. In addition, the tang is biased away from the clevis. Consequently, when there is no axial force (i.e., body weight) on the tang, the tang is free to pivot within the clevis. However, when an axial force is exerted on the tang, the tang is pushed into the clevis, both sets of teeth engage, and the tang and the clevis lock together.

Weddendorf, Bruce↗

NASA NTRS1995

Symbol lock detection implemented with nonoverlapping integration intervals

A symbol lock detector is introduced for an incoming coherent digital communication signal which utilizes a subcarrier modulated with binary symbol data, d(sub k), and known symbol interval T by integrating binary values of the signal over nonoverlapping first and second intervals selected to be T/2, delaying the first integral an interval T/2, and either summing or multiplying the second integral with the first one that preceded it to form a value X(sub k). That value is then averaged over a number M of symbol intervals to produce a static value Y. A symbol lock decision can then be made when the static value Y exceeds a threshold level delta.

Shihabi, Mazen M.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Strain Insensitive Optical Phase Locked Loop

An apparatus is provided to allow for quasi distributed sensing of strain within a test object. Strain insensitive fiber is used to deliver a light signal to a strain sensitive fiber in an optical phase locked loop sensor configuration. The use of strain insensitive delivery fiber allows for non-integrated measurements of strain without the use of expensive electronics such as those employed in ODTR techniques. The novelty of the present invention lies in the use of strain insensitive multimode fiber. The inventors had previously developed a similar sensor with strain insensitive fiber, however it was restricted to the use of single or few mode fibers. The use of an optical phase locked loop arrangement allows for the use of multimode strain insensitive fiber.

Egalon, Claudio Oliviera↗

NASA NTRS1998

Continuous-Wave Single-Frequency Operation of Fabry-Perot Laser Diodes by Self-Injection Phase Locking Using Feedback from a Fiber Bragg Grating

Single-frequency operation of uncoated Fabry-Perot laser diodes is demonstrated by phase- locking the laser oscillations through self-injection seeding with feedback from a fiber Bragg grating. By precisely tuning the laser temperature so that an axial-mode coincides with the short-wavelength band edge of the grating, the phase of the feedback is made conjugate to that of the axial mode, locking the phase of the laser oscillations to that mode.

Duerksen, Gary L.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Cover Drive and Lock Ring Mechanisms for Genesis

The Genesis payload canister will return solar wind samples to Earth. The canister contains four mechanism assemblies: the Cover Drive Mechanism, the Lock Ring Mechanism, the Array Deployment Mechanism, and the Array Latch Mechanism. The Cover Drive and Lock Ring Mechanisms are described in detail while the other two mechanisms are briefly summarized. The Engineering Model canister has been designed, built, tested, and delivered to the spacecraft. The Flight Model is currently being built with delivery to the spacecraft scheduled for mid July 2000. Launch is scheduled for January 2001

Jandura, Louise↗

NASA NTRS1987

Self Locking Fasteners

Detroit Tool Industries' Spiralock threading tool solves a major industrial problem, fasteners coming loose under vibration. Loosening is caused between the flanks of the bolt and nut threads. This lateral movement releases the locking friction that holds the joint together. Spiralock is a uniquely designed female thread form which used with male fasteners of standard thread form provides a self locking action that prevents the lateral movement, and thus makes the threaded joint highly resistant to the effects of vibration. Additionally, a thread contract runs the entire length of the nut, offering greater stress resistance than earlier fasteners.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2005

Releasable Locking Mechanisms

In the aerospace field spacecraft components are held together by separation systems until a specific time when they must be separated or deployed. Customarily a threaded joining bolt engages one of the components to be joined, and a threaded nut is placed on that bolt against the other component so they can be drawn together by a releasable locking assembly. The releasable locking assembly herein includes a plunger having one end coupled to one end of a plunger bolt. The other end is flanged to abut and compress a coil spring when the plunger is advanced toward the interface plane between the two components. When the plunger is so advanced toward the interface plane, the end of the plunger bolt can be connected to the joining bolt. Thus during retraction the joining bolt is drawn to one side of the interface plane by the force of the expanding spring.

Rafiq Ahmed↗

NASA NTRS1994

Design of Digital Phase-Locked Loops For Advanced Digital Transponders

For advanced digital space transponders, the Digital Phased-Locked Loops (DPLLs) can be designed using the available analog loops. DPLLs considered in this paper are derived from the Analog Phase-Locked Loop (APLL) using S-domain mapping techniques.

Transponders↗

NASA NTRS1992

Phase-locked loop FM demodulator

A conventional phase-locked loop is improved by replacing its phase detector with one comprising a linear ramp generator and a sample-and-hold circuit, thus eliminating the need for a lowpass loop filter, although the output of the sample-and-hold circuit may be filtered in the case of a very low level modulating signal on the incoming FM signal, but then filtering is not a difficult problem as in a conventional phase-locked loop. The result is FM demodulation by zero-order estimation. For FM demodulation by first-order estimation, the arithmetic difference between adjacent samples is formed, and using a second sample-and-hold circuit an arithmetic difference signal is produced as an input to a second ramp generator that is reset after each sampling cycle to generate a ramp the slope of which is a function of the arithmetic difference signal stored in the second sample-and-hold circuit. The ramp thus generated by the second ramp generator is arithmetically summed with the zero-estimation signal from the first sample-and-hold circuit to form a first-order estimation signal. Filtering such a first-order estimation signal is less of a problem than filtering a zero-order estimation signal.

Kirkham, Harold↗

NASA NTRS1991

Digital phase-lock loop

An improved digital phase lock loop incorporates several distinctive features that attain better performance at high loop gain and better phase accuracy. These features include: phase feedback to a number-controlled oscillator in addition to phase rate; analytical tracking of phase (both integer and fractional cycles); an amplitude-insensitive phase extractor; a more accurate method for extracting measured phase; a method for changing loop gain during a track without loss of lock; and a method for avoiding loss of sampled data during computation delay, while maintaining excellent tracking performance. The advantages of using phase and phase-rate feedback are demonstrated by comparing performance with that of rate-only feedback. Extraction of phase by the method of modeling provides accurate phase measurements even when the number-controlled oscillator phase is discontinuously updated.

Thomas, Jr., Jess B.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Reference-free direct digital lock-in method and apparatus

A reference-free direct digital lock-in system (RDDL 10) has a first input coupled to a periodic electrical signal and an output for outputting an indication of a magnitude of a desired periodic signal component. The RDDL also has a second input for receiving a signal (9) that specifies a reference period value, and operates to autonomously generate a lock-in reference signal having a specified period and a phase that is adjusted to maximize a magnitude of the outputted desired periodic signal component. In an embodiment of a measurement system that includes the RDDL 10 an optical source provides a chopped light beam having wavelengths within a predetermined range of wavelengths, and the periodic electrical signal is generated by at least one photodetector that is illuminated by the chopped light beam. In this embodiment the measurement system characterizes, for at least one wavelength of light that is generated by the optical source, a spectral response of the at least one photodetector. The RDDL can operate in nonreal-time upon previously generated and stored digital equivalent values of the periodic electrical signal or signals.

Henry, James E.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Releasable locking mechanisms

Ahmed, Rafiq↗

NASA NTRS1987

Self-locking double retention redundant pull pin release

A double-retention redundant pull pin release system is disclosed. The system responds to a single pull during an intentional release operation. A spiral-threaded main pin is seated in a mating bore in a housing, which main pin has a flange fastened thereon at the part of the main pin which is exterior to the housing. Accidental release tends to rotate the main pin. A secondary pin passes through a slightly oversized opening in the flange and is seated in a second bore in the housing. The pins counteract against one another to prevent accidental release. A frictional lock is shared between the main and secondary pins to enhance further locking of the system. The secondary pin, in response to a first pull, is fully retracted from its bore and flange hole. Thereafter the pull causes the main pin to rotate free of the housing to release, for example, a parachute mechanism.

Killgrove, Thomas O.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Phase-locked laser array

A phase-locked laser array comprises a body of semiconductor material having means for defining a plurality of substantially parallel lasing zones which are spaced an effective distance apart so that the modes of the adjacent lasing zones are phase-locked to one another. One of the array electrodes comprises a plurality of electrical contacts to the body between the lasing zones. These contacts provide an enhanced current density profile and thus an increase in the gain in the regions between the lasing zones so that zero degree phase-shift operation between adjacent lasing zones is achievable.

Botez, Dan↗

NASA NTRS1986

Phase-locked laser array having a non-uniform spacing between lasing regions

A phase-locked semiconductor array wherein the lasing regions of the array are spaced an effective distance apart such that the modes of oscillation of the different lasing regions are phase-locked to one another. The center-to-center spacing between the lasing regions is non-uniform. This variation in spacing perturbs the preferred 180.degree. phase difference between adjacent lasing regions thereby providing an increased yield of arrays exhibiting a single-lobed, far-field radiation pattern.

Ackley, Donald E.↗

NASA NTRS2008

Laser Frequency Stabilization and Control through Offset Sideband Locking to Optical Cavities

We describe a class of techniques whereby a laser frequency can be stabilized to a fixed optical cavity resonance with an adjustable offset, providing a wide tuning range for the central frequency. These techniques require only minor modifications to the standard Pound-Drever-Hall locking techniques and have the advantage of not altering the intrinsic stability of the frequency reference. In a laboratory investigation the sideband techniques were found to perform equally well as the standard, non-tunable Pound-Drever-Hall technique, each providing more than four decades of frequency noise suppression over the free-running noise. An application of a tunable system as a pre-stabilization stage in a phase-lock loop is also presented with the combined system achieving a frequency noise suppression of nearly twelve orders of magnitude.

Thorpe, James I.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Arm Locking for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission is a planned gravitational wave detector consisting of three spacecraft in heliocentric orbit. Laser interferometry is used to measure distance fluctuations between test masses aboard each spacecraft to the picometer level over a 5 million kilometer separation. Laser frequency fluctuations must be suppressed in order to meet the measurement requirements. Arm-locking, a technique that uses the constellation of spacecraft as a frequency reference, is a proposed method for stabilizing the laser frequency. We consider the problem of arm-locking using classical optimal control theory and find that our designs satisfy the LISA requirements.

Maghami, P. G.↗