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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

Data volume reduction for single-look polarimetric imaging radar data

An 8-b quantization scheme to reduce the data volume for single-look complex scattering matrix data measured by polarimetric imaging radar systems is described. The scattering matrices are not symmetrized before compression, thereby retaining information about background noise and system effects. The data volume is reduced by a factor of 3.2. It is shown, with measured data, that the signal to quantization noise ratio for the compression scheme is more than 35 dB for the cross-polarized channels, and more than 45 dB for the copolarized channels.

Van Zyl, Jakob J.↗

A simple method of calculating power-law velocity profile exponents from experimental data

Analytical expressions for the effects of compressibility and heat transfer on laminar and turbulent shape factors H have been developed. Solving the turbulent equation for the power law velocity profile exponent N has resulted in a simple technique by which the N values of experimental turbulent profiles can be calculated directly from the integral parameters. Thus the data plotting, curve fitting, and slope measuring, which is the normal technique of obtaining experimental N values, is eliminated. The N values obtained by this method should be within the accuracy with which they could be measured.

Allen, J. M.↗

Long decoding runs for Galileo's convolutional codes

Decoding results are described for long decoding runs of Galileo's convolutional codes. A 1 k-bit/sec hardware Viterbi decoder is used for the (15, 1/4) convolutional code, and a software Viterbi decoder is used for the (7, 1/2) convolutional code. The output data of these long runs are stored in data files using a data compression format which can reduce file size by a factor of 100 to 1 typically. These data files can be used to replicate the long, time-consuming runs exactly and are useful to anyone who wants to analyze the burst statistics of the Viterbi decoders. The 1 k-bit/sec hardware Viterbi decoder was developed in order to demonstrate the correctness of certain algorithmic concepts for decoding Galileo's experimental (15, 1/4) code, and for the long-constraint-length codes in general. The hardware decoder can be used both to search for good codes and to measure accurately the performance of known codes.

Lahmeyer, C. R.↗

Fast magnetization of a high-to-low-beta plasma beam

The magnetization of a high-beta (plasma energy density/magnetic-field energy density) hydrogen-plasma beam injected into a vacuum transverse magnetic field is studied experimentally. Nominal parameters were Ti = 1 eV, Te = 5 eV, n = 3 x 10 to the 13th/cu cm or less, v(i) = 7 x 10 to the 6th cm/sec or less, t(pulse) less than 70 microsec, and Bz = 300 G or less. Plasma characteristics were measured for a wide beam and a downstream distance, x = 300 rho(i) or less, where x is the downstream distance and rho(i) is the ion gyroradius. A brief initial state of diamagnetic propagation is observed, followed by magnetized propagation accompanied by beam compression transverse to B with as much as a factor of 4 increase in density and a slight drift of the beam in the ion Lorentz force direction.

Song, J. J.↗

The Streamline Pattern in the Vicinity of an Oblique Airfoil

A method for determining the streamwise flow pattern of a nonviscous incompressible fluid about an oblique airfoil from the corresponding flow pattern about the airfoil in normal position is presented and illustrated in two examples. The method can be extended to account approximately for compressibility effects by applying the Prandtl-Glauert correction factor to the flow pattern that is normal to the leading edge of the airfoil. The method is expected to be useful in determining the shape of a fuselage or nacelle having a minimum of interference with the flow over a swept-back wing.

Watkins, Charles E↗

Signal to Noise Studies on Thermographic Data with Fabricated Defects for Defense Structures

There is a growing international interest in thermal inspection systems for asset life assessment and management of defense platforms. The efficacy of flash thermography is generally enhanced by applying image processing algorithms to the observations of raw temperature. Improving the defect signal to noise ratio (SNR) is of primary interest to reduce false calls and allow for easier interpretation of a thermal inspection image. Several factors affecting defect SNR were studied such as data compression and reconstruction using principal component analysis and time window processing.

Zalameda, Joseph N.↗

NASA Tech Briefs, January 2014

Topics include: Multi-Source Autonomous Response for Targeting and Monitoring of Volcanic Activity; Software Suite to Support In-Flight Characterization of Remote Sensing Systems; Visual Image Sensor Organ Replacement; Ultra-Wideband, Dual-Polarized, Beam-Steering P-Band Array Antenna; Centering a DDR Strobe in the Middle of a Data Packet; Using a Commercial Ethernet PHY Device in a Radiation Environment; Submerged AUV Charging Station; Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) Vertical Cylinder Habitat; Origami-Inspired Folding of Thick, Rigid Panels; A Novel Protocol for Decoating and Permeabilizing Bacterial Spores for Epifluorescent Microscopy; Method and Apparatus for Automated Isolation of Nucleic Acids from Small Cell Samples; Enabling Microliquid Chromatography by Microbead Packing of Microchannels; On-Command Force and Torque Impeding Devices (OC-FTID) Using ERF; Deployable Fresnel Rings; Transition-Edge Hot-Electron Microbolometers for Millimeter and Submillimeter Astrophysics; Spacecraft Trajectory Analysis and Mission Planning Simulation (STAMPS) Software; Cross Support Transfer Service (CSTS) Framework Library; Arbitrary Shape Deformation in CFD Design; Range Safety Flight Elevation Limit Calculation Software; Frequency-Modulated, Continuous-Wave Laser Ranging Using Photon-Counting Detectors; Calculation of Operations Efficiency Factors for Mars Surface Missions; GPU Lossless Hyperspectral Data Compression System; Robust, Optimal Subsonic Airfoil Shapes; Protograph-Based Raptor-Like Codes; Fuzzy Neuron: Method and Hardware Realization; Kalman Filter Input Processor for Boresight Calibration; Organizing Compression of Hyperspectral Imagery to Allow Efficient Parallel Decompression; and Temperature Dependences of Mechanisms Responsible for the Water-Vapor Continuum Absorption.

Source record↗

Direct Solve of Electrically Large Integral Equations for Problem Sizes to 1M Unknowns

Matrix methods for solving integral equations via direct solve LU factorization are presently limited to weeks to months of very expensive supercomputer time for problems sizes of several hundred thousand unknowns. This report presents matrix LU factor solutions for electromagnetic scattering problems for problem sizes to one million unknowns with thousands of right hand sides that run in mere days on PC level hardware. This EM solution is accomplished by utilizing the numerical low rank nature of spatially blocked unknowns using the Adaptive Cross Approximation for compressing the rank deficient blocks of the system Z matrix, the L and U factors, the right hand side forcing function and the final current solution. This compressed matrix solution is applied to a frequency domain EM solution of Maxwell's equations using standard Method of Moments approach. Compressed matrix storage and operations count leads to orders of magnitude reduction in memory and run time.

Shaeffer, John↗

Structural changes in liquid lithium under high-pressure

In this paper, we have experimentally studied the effect of compression on the structure of liquid lithium (Li) by multi-angle energy dispersive X-ray diffraction in a large-volume cupped-Drickamer-Toroidal cell. The structure factors, s(q), of liquid Li have been successfully determined under an isothermal compression at 600 ± 30 K and at pressures up to 11.5 GPa. The first peak position in s(q) is found to increase with increasing pressure and showing an obvious slope change starting at ~7.5 GPa. The slope change is interpreted as a structural change from bcc-like to fcc-like local ordering in liquid Li. At pressures above 8.7 GPa, the liquid Li becomes predominantly fcc-like up to the highest pressure of 11.5 GPa in this study. The observed structural changes in liquid Li are consistent with the recently determined melting curve of Li.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Compressed Expanded Natural Graphite (CENG) Processing for PCM Composites

The use of phase change materials (PCMs) in thermal energy storage applications has received considerable attention in recent decades. Organic PCMs are popular due to their high latent heat of fusion, noncorrosive properties, and relative stability over many charge and discharge cycles. A primary limitation of these materials is their low thermal conductivity. This has led researchers to develop various methods to increase thermal conductivity by seeding PCM with or impregnating them into more conductive materials. One method is to impregnate PCMs into compressed expanded natural graphite (CENG) matrices, which can improve thermal conductivity by a factor of 100. CENG matrices have received particular interest due to their low cost, high porosity, small (nano/micro) pore size, high pore density, high thermal conductivity, and ability to be compressed into many geometries. PCM/CENG matrix composites have been extensively studied; however, the effect that CENG processing has on PCM saturation and the overall matrix thermal conductivity has not been well investigated. This processing includes four major steps including graphite intercalation, thermal shock, compression, and PCM saturation. Intercalation involves soaking graphite flakes in sulfuric and/or nitric acid to intercalate the acids between the graphene layers. The graphite flakes are then subjected to a high-temperature thermal shock, during which the intercalated acid is gasified rapidly, pushing the graphene layers apart, resulting in accordion-shaped graphite "worms". The "worms" are then compacted to a desired bulk density and then soaked with molten PCM until fully saturated. The properties of the produced CENG matrix, and its ability to allow PCM permeation, are sensitive to the processing parameters, namely, the thermal shock temperature and exposure time, as well as the matrix apparent density or porosity. Here, we study the effect of the thermal shock conditions necessary to expand intercalated graphite flakes on PCM saturation and the expanded graphite's thermal conductivity and morphology. We found that the thermal shock temperature exhibits the greatest influence. At greater shock temperatures, SEM images showed that expanded graphite worms exhibited greater density of pores, thus increasing total surface area within the matrices. Increasing thermal shock temperature yielded greater overall PCM saturation, as well as an increased rate of saturation. Improvements in PCM saturation rate and overall saturation are obtained as the shock temperature is increased. Longer exposure to thermal shock also improves initial saturation rates and is beneficial if a shortened impregnation time is needed. Thermal shock conditions did not impact thermal conductivity; however, conductivity was largely affected by matrix porosity. A local maximum in axial thermal conductivity was observed at around 83% porosity, which is similar to that observed in previous studies.

compressed expanded natural graphite↗

Finite element algorithms for compressible flow computation on a supercomputer

Methods of applying computational fluid dynamics techniques to engineering problems are discussed. The linking factors between theoretical and applied research are the shape and weight functions which produce the Galerkin finite element schemes. The flow is unsteady, viscous, heat conducting and compressible, and steady-state flows are the asymptotic limit of unsteady flows. All flows are described by the time-averaged Navier-Stokes equations (NSE) with mass and energy conservation. Local curvilinear intrinsic coordinates are applied to discretize the NSE in arbitrary geometric domains. A modified weighted residuals approach defines the discrete analogs of the physical systems modeled and a general interpolants method is used to derive families of numerical models, both implicit and explicit, finite difference and finite elemnt, from a single point of departure. Time-dependent element approximations are achieved with a progressive assembly of generalized elements method. Hyperbolic steady-state Euler algorithms and quasi-parabolic are spatial marching algorithms for solving the discretized equations. Application of the techniques is illustrated through calculation of the compressible flow around a hypersonic flight vehicle at 100,000 ft at zero angle of attack at speeds of Mach 4-10.

Spradley, L. W.↗

Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) utilizing Man-Tended Capability (MTC) hardware onboard Space Station Freedom

Because of the time and distance involved in returning a patient from space to a definitive medical care facility, the capability for Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) exists onboard Space Station Freedom. Methods: In order to evaluate the effectiveness of terrestrial ACLS protocols in microgravity, a medical team conducted simulations during parabolic flights onboard the KC-135 aircraft. The hardware planned for use during the MTC phase of the space station was utilized to increase the fidelity of the scenario and to evaluate the prototype equipment. Based on initial KC-135 testing of CPR and ACLS, changes were made to the ventricular fibrillation algorithm in order to accommodate the space environment. Other constraints to delivery of ACLS onboard the space station include crew size, minimum training, crew deconditioning, and limited supplies and equipment. Results: The delivery of ACLS in microgravity is hindered by the environment, but should be adequate. Factors specific to microgravity were identified for inclusion in the protocol including immediate restraint of the patient and early intubation to insure airway. External cardiac compressions of adequate force and frequency were administered using various methods. The more significant limiting factors appear to be crew training, crew size, and limited supplies. Conclusions: Although ACLS is possible in the microgravity environment, future evaluations are necessary to further refine the protocols. Proper patient and medical officer restraint is crucial prior to advanced procedures. Also emphasis should be placed on early intubation for airway management and drug administration. Preliminary results and further testing will be utilized in the design of medical hardware, determination of crew training, and medical operations for space station and beyond.

Smith, M.↗

Data compression for full motion video transmission

Clearly transmission of visual information will be a major, if not dominant, factor in determining the requirements for, and assessing the performance of, the SEI communications systems. Projected image/video requirements which are currently anticipated for SEI mission scenarios are presented. Based on this information and projected link performance figures, the image/video data compression requirements which would allow link closure are identified. Finally several approaches which could satisfy some of the compression requirements are presented and possible future approaches which show promise for more substantial compression performance improvement are discussed.

Whyte, Wayne A., Jr.↗

Microstructural non-uniformity as related to unidirectional compression performance

The compression performance of unidirectional composite laminates (UDCLs) is related not only to intrinsic or local strength, but also to a sample's ability to resist propagaton of initial damage. This paper introduces a simple shear lag model which is applied to a compression loaded UDCL with initial damage. Among the information obtained are axial overload and matrix layer shear strain factors in the neighborhood of the damage zone. These factors indicate that propagation may occur with relatively little initial damage and emphasize the need for a more complete understanding of compression behavior than currently exists.

Majors, Patrick S.↗

Design, process development, manufacture, test and evaluation of boron-aluminum for space shuttle components

The development of sufficient technology to permit application of boron-aluminum to space shuttle components is described. Specifically, report is made of the fabrication and testing of a 48 in. by 72 in. boron-aluminum compression panel capable of distributing a point load of 350,000 lbs. into a uniform running load within a peaking factor of 1.3 at a temperature of 600 F. In addition, small component testing was performed to verify the compression panel design.

Garrett, R. A.↗

Data compression for full motion video transmission

Clearly transmission of visual information will be a major, if not dominant, factor in determining the requirements for, and assessing the performance of the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) communications systems. Projected image/video requirements which are currently anticipated for SEI mission scenarios are presented. Based on this information and projected link performance figures, the image/video data compression requirements which would allow link closure are identified. Finally several approaches which could satisfy some of the compression requirements are presented and possible future approaches which show promise for more substantial compression performance improvement are discussed.

Whyte, Wayne A., Jr.↗

Investigation of compressible vortex flow characteristics

The nature of intense air vortices was studied and the factors which determine the intensity and rate of decay of both single and pairs of vortices were investigated. Vortex parameters of axial pressure differential, circulation, outflow rates, separation distance and directions of rotation were varied. Unconfined vortices, generated by a single rotating cage, were intensified by an increasing axial pressure gradient. Breakdown occurred when the axial gradient became negligible. The core radius was a function of the axial gradient. Dual vortices, generated by two counterrotating cages, rotated opposite to the attached cages. With minimum spacing only one vortex was formed which rotated in a direction opposite to the attached cage. When one cage rotated at half the speed of the other cage, one vortex formed at the higher speed cage rotating in the cage direction.

Muirhead, V. U.↗

Validation of Lower-Bound Estimates for Compression-Loaded Cylindrical Shells

The traditional approach used in the design of stability critical thin-walled circular cylin- ders, is to reduce unconservative buckling load predictions with an empirical knockdown factor. An alternative analysis-based approach to determine a lower bound buckling load for cylinders under axial compression is to use a lateral perturbation load to create an initial imperfection and determine the buckling load while that load is applied. This paper describes a preliminary e ort to develop a test capability to verify this approach. Results from tests of three aluminum alloy cylinders are described and compared to nite element predictions.

Haynie, Waddy T.↗