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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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The disclosure concerns a device suitable for removing air from water under both zero and one 'g' gravity conditions. The device is comprised of a pair of spaced membranes on being hydrophobic and the other being hydrophilic. The air-water mixture is introduced into the space therebetween, and the selective action of the membranes yields removal of the air from the water.
A modeling study of the effects of clouds and wet removal on the chemistry of the remote marine troposphere is described. Using a time-dependent model with parameterized vertical transport to calculate trace-gas concentrations, it is found that large variations in key species (e.g., HNO3, H2CO, and H2O2) result from simulations of sporadic rainfall, changes in cloud cover, and external inputs such as surface NO sources. Depending on the frequency and intensity of an event, the effects of these perturbations may persist for several days, thereby invalidating assumptions of photochemical equilibrium in the interpretation of measurements. Long-term integrations with fixed boundary conditions and regularly occurring cloud and rain episodes demonstrate a strong sensitivity of the mean concentration of longer-lived soluble gases to precipitation frequency but also confirm the validity of using properly chosen parameterizations of wet removal in steady state calculations.
Electrical eraser removes butyl cement from protective coveralls. Method used to remove other adhesives from different surfaces.
Thermal histories for two-layer and whole-mantle convection models are calculated and presented, based on a parameterization of convective heat transport. The model is composed of two concentric spherical shells surrounding a spherical core. The models were constrained to yield the observed present-day surface heat flow and mantle viscosity, in order to determine parameters. These parameters were varied to determine their effects on the results. Studies show that whole-mantle convection removes three times more primordial heat from the earth interior and six times more from the core than does two-layer convection (in 4.5 billion years). Mantle volumetric heat generation rates for both models are comparable to that of a potassium-depleted chondrite, and thus surface heat-flux balance does not require potassium in the core. Whole and two-layer mantle convection differences are primarily due to lower mantle thermal insulation and the lower heat removal efficiency of the upper mantle as compared with that of the whole mantle.
Sidewall boundary-layer effects have been investigated by applying partial upstream sidewall boundary-layer removal in the Langley 0.3-m Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel. Over the range of sidewall boundary-layer displacement thickness of these tests the influence on pressure distributions was found to be small for subcritical conditions; however, for supercritical conditions the shock position was affected by the sidewall boundary layer. For these tests, with and without boundary-layer removal, comparisons with predictions of the GRUMFOIL computer code indicated that Mach number corrections due to the sidewall boundary layer improves the agreement for both subcritical and supercritical conditions. The results show the necessity for accounting for sidewall effects even when the top and bottom wall effects are small.
Formulation of an electrohydrodynamic hypothesis to explain the mechanism of material removal in electroerosion, and results of experiments designed to verify the validity of the proposed hypothesis is discussed. A hypothesis is proposed according to which material is removed by a high-power liquid microjet which forms as a result of implosion of a vapor cavity between the two electrodes. Using a model of the implosion of a vapor cavity, a study is made of the energy dissipated in the arc zone as a function of the expended electrical energy.
Drill-press jig used to remove improperly installed rivets. Drillpress jig makes possible to drill accurately-centered, straight holes through rivets. Key component of jig is a drill bushing with spherical recess machined into base. Contour of recess matches contour of rivet head. Operator holds jig handle with one hand and controls drill with other. Handle and screw head hold drill bit in place over center of rivet so rivet drilled out through its axis. With rivet removed, parts separated and refastened or reused elsewhere.
In the hot isostatic pressing of ceramic materials in molten glass using an inert gas as a pressing medium, glass adhered to the sintered ceramics is heated to convert it to a porous glass and removed. Thus, Si3N4 powder was compacted at 5000 kg/sq cm, coated with a 0.5 mm thick BN, embedded in Pyrex glass in a graphite crucible, put inside a hot isostatic press containing Argon, hot pressed at 1750 C and 100 kg/sq cm; cooled, taken out from the crucible, heated at 1100 C for 30 minutes, cooled, and then glass adhered to the sintered body was removed.
Foliage plants were evaluated for their ability to sorb carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, the two primary gases produced during the combustion of fossil fuels and tobacco. The spider plant (Chlorophytum elatum var. vittatum) could sorb 2.86 micrograms CO/sq cm leaf surface in a 6 h photoperiod. The golden pothos (Scindapsus aureus) sorbed 0.98 micrograms CO/sq cm leaf surface in the same time period. In a system with the spider plant, greater than or equal to 99 percent of an initial concentration of 47 ppm NO2 could be removed in 6 h from a void volume of approximately 0.35 cu m. One spider plant potted in a 3.8 liter container can sorb 3300 micrograms CO and effect the removal of 8500 micrograms NO2/hour, recognizing the fact that a significant fraction of NO2 at high concentrations will be lost by surface sorption, dissolving in moisture, etc.
New tool makes installation, adjustment, and removal of self-clamping arc-light reflectors on welding torches easy and simple. Consists of two arms reaching around from back of torch. Lip on each arm hooks into slot of arc-light reflector clamp. When handles squeezed together, slot spreads enabling easy installation, adjustment, or removal of reflector without disassembly of welding apparatus.
Unit removed with minimal disturbance. Valve inlet and outlet ports adjacent to each other on same side of valve body. Ports inserted into special manifold on fluid line. Valve body attached to manifold by four bolts or, alternatively, by toggle clamps. Electromechanical actuator moves in direction parallel to fluid line to open and close valve. When necessary to clean valve, removed simply by opening bolts or toggle clamps. No need to move or separate ports of fluid line. Valve useful where disturbance of fluid line detrimental or where fast maintenance essential - in oil and chemical industries, automotive vehicles, aircraft, and powerplants.
Small resistance heater makes it easier, faster, and cheaper to remove integrated circuit from hybrid-circuit board, package, or other substrate for rework. Heater, located directly in polymeric bond interface or on substrate under integrated-circuit chip, energized when necessary to remove chip. Heat generated softens adhesive or solder that bonds chip to substrate. Chip then lifted easily from substrate.
While there are currently no active measures for the removal of nonfunctional satellites or spent rocket stages from earth orbit, it has been deemed prudent to begin to identify and economically evaluate potential approaches for such orbital decluttering. The methods presently considered encompass retrieval with an OMV, forcible deorbiting via attached propulsive devices, and deorbiting via passive, drag-augmentation devices; the increases in payload-delivery costs they represent are respectively $15-20 million/object, $7.8 million/vehicle, and $5.5-15.5 million/unit. OMV removal appears the least economically feasible method.
The development of a CO2 removal system for an astronaut portable life support system to meet the EVA requirements for the Space Station is discussed, focusing on the factors important in the selection of the metal oxide absorbent for CO2 removal. Results from laboratory tests on metal oxide absorbent materials are given, including characterization studies and dynamic CO2 uptake and regeneration measurements. The preliminary design of the breadboard system to perform both the absorption and regeneration functions is presented.
Adaptive box-filtering algorithms to remove random bit errors and to smooth noisy data have been developed. For both procedures, the standard deviation of those pixels within a local box surrounding each pixel is used. A series of two or three filters with decreasing box sizes can be run to clean up extremely noisy images and to remove bit errors near sharp edges. The second filter, for noise smoothing, is similar to the 'sigma filter' of Lee (1983). The technique effectively reduces speckle in radar images without eliminating fine details.
Characterization of the performance of a silver-oxide-based absorbent in terms of its ability to remove both gaseous CO2 and water vapor in an astronaut portable life support systems (PLSS) is discussed. Attention is focused on regeneration of the absorbent from the carbonite state of the oxide state, preconditioning of the absorbent using a humidified gas stream, and absorption breakthrough testing. Based on the results of bench-scale experiments, a test plan is carried out to further characterize the silver-oxide-based absorbent on a larger scale; it calls for examination of the absorbent in both an adiabatic packed bed and a near-isothermal cooled bed configuration. It is demonstrated that the tested absorbent can be utilized in a way that removes substantial amounts of CO2 and water vapor during an 8-hour extravehicular activity mission, and that applying the absorbent to PLSS applications can simplify the ventilation loop.
Tool removes coil-spring thread inserts from threaded holes. Threads into hole, pries insert loose, grips insert, then pulls insert to thread it out of hole. Effects essentially reverse of insertion process to ease removal and avoid further damage to threaded inner surface of hole.
An automatic dross removal apparatus is disclosed for removing dross from the surface of a solder bath in an automated electric component handling system. A rotatable wiper blade is positioned adjacent the solder bath which skims the dross off of the surface prior to the dipping of a robot conveyed component into the bath. An electronic control circuit causes a motor to rotate the wiper arm one full rotational cycle each time a pulse is received from a robot controller as a component approaches the solder bath.