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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 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1973

Airborne Laser Polar Nephelometer

A polar nephelometer has been developed at NCAR to measure the angular variation of the intensity of light scattered by air molecules and particles. The system has been designed for airborne measurements using outside air ducted through a 5-cm diameter airflow tube; the sample volume is that which is common to the intersection of a collimated source beam and the detector field of view within the airflow tube. The source is a linearly polarized helium-neon laser beam. The optical system defines a collimated field-of-view (0.5deg half-angle) through a series of diaphragms located behind a I72-mm focal length objective lens. A photomultiplier tube is located immediately behind an aperture in the focal plane of the objective lens. The laser beam is mechanically chopped (on-off) at a rate of 5 Hz; a two-channel pulse counter, synchronized to the laser output, measures the photomultiplier pulse rate with the light beam both on and off. The difference in these measured pulse rates is directly proportional to the intensity of the scattered light from the volume common to the intersection of the laser beam and the detector field-of-view. Measurements can be made at scattering angles from 15deg to 165deg with reference to the direction of propagation of the light beam. Intermediate angles are obtained by selecting the angular increments desired between these extreme angles (any multiple of 0.1deg can be selected for the angular increment; 5deg is used in normal operation). Pulses provided by digital circuits control a stepping motor which sequentially rotates the detector by pre-selected angular increments. The synchronous photon-counting system automatically begins measurement of the scattered-light intensity immediately after the rotation to a new angle has been completed. The instrument has been flown on the NASA Convair 990 airborne laboratory to obtain data on the complex index of refraction of atmospheric aerosols. A particle impaction device is operated simultaneously to collect particles from the same airflow tube used to make the scattered-light measurements. A size distribution function is obtained by analysis of the particles collected by the impaction device. Calculated values of the angular variation of the scattered-light intensity are obtained by applying Mie scattering theory to the observed size distribution function and assuming different values of the complex index of refraction of the particles. The calculated values are then compared with data on the actual variation of the scattered-light intensity obtained with the polar nephelometer. The most probable value of the complex refractive index is that which provides the best fit between the experimental light scattering data and the parameters calculated from the observed size distribution function.

Grams, Gerald W.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Photodiode Preamplifier for Laser Ranging With Weak Signals

An improved preamplifier circuit has been designed for processing the output of an avalanche photodiode (APD) that is used in a high-resolution laser ranging system to detect laser pulses returning from a target. The improved circuit stands in contrast to prior such circuits in which the APD output current pulses are made to pass, variously, through wide-band or narrow-band load networks before preamplification. A major disadvantage of the prior wide-band load networks is that they are highly susceptible to noise, which degrades timing resolution. A major disadvantage of the prior narrow-band load networks is that they make it difficult to sample the amplitudes of the narrow laser pulses ordinarily used in ranging. In the improved circuit, a load resistor is connected to the APD output and its value is chosen so that the time constant defined by this resistance and the APD capacitance is large, relative to the duration of a laser pulse. The APD capacitance becomes initially charged by the pulse of current generated by a return laser pulse, so that the rise time of the load-network output is comparable to the duration of the return pulse. Thus, the load-network output is characterized by a fast-rising leading edge, which is necessary for accurate pulse timing. On the other hand, the resistance-capacitance combination constitutes a lowpass filter, which helps to suppress noise. The long time constant causes the load network output pulse to have a long shallow-sloping trailing edge, which makes it easy to sample the amplitude of the return pulse. The output of the load network is fed to a low-noise, wide-band amplifier. The amplifier must be a wide-band one in order to preserve the sharp pulse rise for timing. The suppression of noise and the use of a low-noise amplifier enable the ranging system to detect relatively weak return pulses.

Abramovici, Alexander↗
NASA NTRS1984

Method and apparatus for pulse width modulation control of an AC induction motor

An inverter is connected between a source of DC power and a three-phase AC induction motor, and a micro-processor-based circuit controls the inverter using pulse width modulation techniques. In the disclosed method of pulse width modulation, both edges of each pulse of a carrier pulse train are equally modulated by a time proportional to sin .THETA., where .THETA. is the angular displacement of the pulse center at the motor stator frequency from a fixed reference point on the carrier waveform. The carrier waveform frequency is a multiple of the motor stator frequency. The modulated pulse train is then applied to each of the motor phase inputs with respective phase shifts of 120.degree. at the stator frequency. Switching control commands of electronic switches in the inverter are stored in a random access memory (RAM) and the locations of the RAM are successively read out in a cyclic manner, each bit of a given RAM location controlling a respective phase input of the motor. The DC power source preferably comprises rechargeable batteries and all but one of the electronic switches in the inverter can be disabled, the remaining electronic switch being part of a flyback DC-DC converter circuit for recharging the battery.

Geppert, Steven↗
NASA NTRS2013

High-Speed, High-Resolution Time-to-Digital Conversion

This innovation is a series of time-tag pulses from a photomultiplier tube, featuring short time interval between pulses (e.g., 2.5 ns). Using the previous art, dead time between pulses is too long, or too much hardware is required, including a very-high-speed demultiplexer. A faster method is needed. The goal of this work is to provide circuits to time-tag pulses that arrive at a high rate using the hardwired logic in an FPGA - specifically the carry chain - to create what is (in effect) an analog delay line. High-speed pulses travel down the chain in a "wave." For instance, a pulse train has been demonstrated from a 1- GHz source reliably traveling down the carry chain. The size of the carry chain is over 10 ns in the time domain. Thus, multiple pulses will travel down the carry chain in a wave simultaneously. A register clocked by a low-skew clock takes a "snapshot" of the wave. Relatively simple logic can extract the pulses from the snapshot picture by detecting the transitions between logic states. The propagation delay of CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) logic circuits will differ and/or change as a result of temperature, voltage, age, radiation, and manufacturing variances. The time-to-digital conversion circuits can be calibrated with test signals, or the changes can be nulled by a separate on-die calibration channel, in a closed loop circuit.

Katz, Richard↗
NASA NTRS2007

Multiloop Rapid-Rise/Rapid Fall High-Voltage Power Supply

A proposed multiloop power supply would generate a potential as high as 1.25 kV with rise and fall times <100 s. This power supply would, moreover, be programmable to generate output potentials from 20 to 1,250 V and would be capable of supplying a current of at least 300 A at 1,250 V. This power supply is intended to be a means of electronic shuttering of a microchannel plate that would be used to intensify the output of a charge-coupled-device imager to obtain exposure times as short as 1 ms. The basic design of this power supply could also be adapted to other applications in which high voltages and high slew rates are needed. At the time of reporting the information for this article, there was no commercially available power supply capable of satisfying the stated combination of voltage, rise-time, and fall-time requirements. The power supply would include a preregulator that would be used to program a voltage 1/30 of the desired output voltage. By means of a circuit that would include a pulse-width modulator (PWM), two voltage doublers, and a transformer having two primary and two secondary windings, the preregulator output voltage would be amplified by a factor of 30. A resistor would limit the current by controlling a drive voltage applied to field-effect transistors (FETs) during turn-on of the PWM. Two feedback loops would be used to regulate the high output voltage. A pulse transformer would be used to turn on four FETs to short-circuit output capacitors when the outputs of the PWM were disabled. Application of a 0-to-5-V square to a PWM shut-down pin would cause a 20-to-1,250-V square wave to appear at the output.

Bearden, Douglas↗
NASA NTRS1982

A PPM modulator and demodulator for the 2.5 bit/detected photon demonstration

In addition to performing the basic pulse position modulation and demodulation, the hardware described also indicates the occurrence of erasures and errors of various types. The analyzer portion of the circuit counts the number of pulses received in a word, demodulates a second input pulse (if one is received), indicates the occurrence of erasures, and detects PPM word errors. Word errors are detected by comparing the modulator input word to the corresponding demodulator output. These functions are provided mainly for testing and diagnosis of the system during the feasibility demonstration period.

Marshall, W. K.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Photoelectronic Monitor of Motion Sickness

Instrument includes gallium arsenide light-emitting diode (LED) and silicon phototransistor with infrared filter, all cast in single plastic housing. Housing attached to subject's face with transparent doublesided adhesive tape. LED directs pulses of infrared light to skin, which reflects them to phototransistor. Phototransistor produces signal that is processed by external circuits to yield plot of infrared reflectance with time. External circuits temperature-compensated and respond only to pulsed component of detector output, rejecting those components caused by stray light. Circuits also extract blood-volume pulse amplitude and heart rate.

Oman, C. M.↗
NASA NTRS1969

High voltage pulse generator

Generator has an improved circuit for generating a controllable, high voltage spark having a constant known energy output. It can be used for testing the flash and ignition characteristics of nonmetallic materials in a controlled gas environment.

Pippen, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1985

High voltage power supply

A high voltage power supply is formed by three discrete circuits energized by a battery to provide a plurality of concurrent output signals floating at a high output voltage on the order of several tens of kilovolts. In the first two circuits, the regulator stages are pulse width modulated and include adjustable ressistances for varying the duty cycles of pulse trains provided to corresponding oscillator stages while the third regulator stage includes an adjustable resistance for varying the amplitude of a steady signal provided to a third oscillator stage. In the first circuit, the oscillator, formed by a constant current drive network and a tuned resonant network included a step up transformer, is coupled to a second step up transformer which, in turn, supplies an amplified sinusoidal signal to a parallel pair of complementary poled rectifying, voltage multiplier stages to generate the high output voltage.

Ruitberg, A. P.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Apparatus and Method for Compensating for Process, Voltage, and Temperature Variation of the Time Delay of a Digital Delay Line

A process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) compensation circuit and a method of continuously generating a delay measure are provided. The compensation circuit includes two delay lines, each delay line providing a delay output. The two delay lines may each include a number of delay elements, which in turn may include one or more current-starved inverters. The number of delay lines may differ between the two delay lines. The delay outputs are provided to a combining circuit that determines an offset pulse based on the two delay outputs and then averages the voltage of the offset pulse to determine a delay measure. The delay measure may be one or more currents or voltages indicating an amount of PVT compensation to apply to input or output signals of an application circuit, such as a memory-bus driver, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a synchronous DRAM, a processor or other clocked circuit.

Seefeldt, James↗
NASA NTRS1973

Powerplexer

An electrical power distribution system is described for use in providing different dc voltage levels. A circuit is supplied with DC voltage levels and commutates pulses for timed intervals onto a pair of distribution wires. The circuit is driven by a command generator which places pulses on the wires in a timed sequence. The pair of wires extend to voltage strippers connected to the various loads. The voltage strippers each respond to the pulse dc levels on the pair of wires and form different output voltages communicated to each load.

Woods, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Evaluation of Pulse Counting for the Mars Organic Mass Analyzer (MOMA) Ion Trap Detection Scheme

The Mars Organic Mass Analyzer is being developed at Goddard Space Flight Center to identify organics and possible biological compounds on Mars. In the process of characterizing mass spectrometer size, weight, and power consumption, the use of pulse counting was considered for ion detection. Pulse counting has advantages over analog-mode amplification of the electron multiplier signal. Some advantages are reduced size of electronic components, low power consumption, ability to remotely characterize detector performance, and avoidance of analog circuit noise. The use of pulse counting as a detection method with ion trap instruments is relatively rare. However, with the recent development of high performance electrical components, this detection method is quite suitable and can demonstrate significant advantages over analog methods. Methods A prototype quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer with an internal electron ionization source was used as a test setup to develop and evaluate the pulse-counting method. The anode signal from the electron multiplier was preamplified. The an1plified signal was fed into a fast comparator for pulse-level discrimination. The output of the comparator was fed directly into a Xilinx FPGA development board. Verilog HDL software was written to bin the counts at user-selectable intervals. This system was able to count pulses at rates in the GHz range. The stored ion count nun1ber per bin was transferred to custom ion trap control software. Pulse-counting mass spectra were compared with mass spectra obtained using the standard analog-mode ion detection. Prelin1inary Data Preliminary mass spectra have been obtained for both analog mode and pulse-counting mode under several sets of instrument operating conditions. Comparison of the spectra revealed better peak shapes for pulse-counting mode. Noise levels are as good as, or better than, analog-mode detection noise levels. To artificially force ion pile-up conditions, the ion trap was overfilled and ions were ejected at very high scan rates. Pile-up of ions was not significant for the ion trap under investigation even though the ions are ejected in so-called 'ion-micro packets'. It was found that pulse counting mode had higher dynamic range than analog mode, and that the first amplification stage in analog mode can distort mass peaks. The inherent speed of the pulse counting method also proved to be beneficial to ion trap operation and ion ejection characterization. Very high scan rates were possible with pulse counting since the digital circuitry response time is so much smaller than with the analog method. Careful investigation of the pulse-counting data also allowed observation of the applied resonant ejection frequency during mass analysis. Ejection of ion micro packets could be clearly observed in the binned data. A second oscillation frequency, much lower than the secular frequency, was also observed. Such an effect was earlier attributed to the oscillation of the total plasma cloud in the ion trap. While the components used to implement pulse counting are quite advanced, due to their prevalence in consumer electronics, the cost of this detection system is no more than that of an analog mode system. Total pulse-counting detection system electronics cost is under $250

Van Amerom, Friso H.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Method and apparatus for measuring web material wound on a reel

The method and apparatus for measuring the number of layers of a web material of known thickness wound on a storage or take-up reel is presented. The method and apparatus are based on the principle that, at a relatively large radius, the loci of layers of a thin web wound on the reel approximate a family of concentric circles having radii respectively successively increasing by a length equal to the web thickness. Tachometer pulses are generated in response to linear movement of the web and reset pulses are generated in response to rotation of the reel. A digital circuit, responsive to the tachometer and reset pulses, generates data indicative of the layer number of any layer of the web and of position of the web within the layer without requiring numerical interpolation.

Muller, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Inexpensive Logic-Level Converter

Relatively-simple transformer circuit boosts 0-to-5 volt pulses from TTL circuitry to plus or minus 10-volt pulses for transmission over data bus. Also reduces bus voltages to lower voltages required by TTL circuitry. Circuit consists of transformer, two voltage-reference networks, quad differential line receiver, and line driver.

Wilcox, S. W.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Motor control for a brushless DC motor

This invention relates to a motor control system for a brushless DC motor having an inverter responsively coupled to the motor control system and in power transmitting relationship to the motor. The motor control system includes a motor rotor speed detecting unit that provides a pulsed waveform signal proportional to rotor speed. This pulsed waveform signal is delivered to the inverter to thereby cause an inverter fundamental current waveform output to the motor to be switched at a rate proportional to said rotor speed. In addition, the fundamental current waveform is also pulse width modulated at a rate proportional to the rotor speed. A fundamental current waveform phase advance circuit is controllingly coupled to the inverter. The phase advance circuit is coupled to receive the pulsed waveform signal from the motor rotor speed detecting unit and phase advance the pulsed waveform signal as a predetermined function of motor speed to thereby cause the fundamental current waveform to be advanced and thereby compensate for fundamental current waveform lag due to motor winding reactance which allows the motor to operate at higher speeds than the motor is rated while providing optimal torque and therefore increased efficiency.

Peterson, William J.↗
NASA NTRS2004

The Pulse Width Modulator ASIC for Deep Space Missions

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has started the development of a Pulse Width Modulator Application Specific Integrated Circuit (PWMA). This development is leveraging the previous development of the Switch Control ASIC (SCA). The purpose of the development is to provide the control for a selected range of power converter topologies and to meet the stringent environmental requirements of deep space missions. The PWMA will include several power control functions that are not normally included on the off-the-shelf components available today. One key functional requirement is the ability to implement an N + K redundant power converter with the ability to control the charging of a battery. Other applications will be the typical point of load isolated and non-isolated power converters. The purpose the development is not only to provide a much needed flight part, but also to accelerate the engineering process by using a standard cell library from previous ASIC developments. Under previous developments with Boeing and Lockheed Martin, JPL has produced three ASICs. Each ASIC has been implemented by using an analog standard cell library. One such development was the SCA, which is design to provide a floating power switch control. The functional verification of this ASIC has been completed and the cells used have been targeted for the new development of the PWMA. The primary function of the PWMA is to provide the control function of a point of load power converter. The design is an isolated 60 W converter with a 33 V output. In architecting the design, several functions were left up to the power converter design in order to make the ASIC more generic. The ASIC can be used for several power converter topologies and power levels. Some additional features have been added to the ASIC to provide the interfaces for multi-phase topologies and battery control functions. An N+K fault tolerant strategy has been implemented in order to provide the battery control functions. The PWMA has been developed to provide an ASIC with several functions not normally available in the off the shelf controllers. These functions have been added to enable the power converter designers to achieve fault tolerant designs and battery control functions.

Pulse Width Modulator Application Specific Integra↗
NASA NTRS1991

Comparison of converter topologies for charging capacitors used in pulsed load applications

The authors present a qualitative comparison of different power converter topologies which may be utilized for charging capacitors in pulsed power applications requiring voltages greater than 1 kV. The operation of the converters in capacitor charging applications is described, and relevant advantages are presented. All of the converters except one may be classified in the high-frequency switching category. One of the benefits from high-frequency operation is a reduction in size and weight. The other converter discussed is a member of the command resonant changing category. The authors first describe a boost circuit which functions as a command resonant charging circuit and utilizes a single pulse of current to charge the capacitor. The discussion of high-frequency converters begins with the flyback and Ward converters. Then, the series, parallel, and series/parallel resonant converters are examined.

Nelms, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Pulsed-Corona Electrostatic Charger

Experimental charge-generating apparatus supplies nanocoulomb charges to small objects. Purpose of experiment to develop contactless charger for solid or liquid spheroids in contactless (levitation) processing. Circuit generates high-voltage RF Pulses, applied between two electrodes in each set. Also applies 60 Hz high accelerating voltage between two sets of electrodes. Two sets of electrodes made of conductive paint on acrylic sheets, placed diametrically opposite each other in supporting cylinder.

Rhim, W. K.↗