Results for “Reaction center” — Page 12

NASA NTRS1998

Use of a Passive Reaction Wheel Jitter Isolation System to Meet the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility Imaging Performance Requirements

Third in the series of NASA great observatories, the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) is scheduled for launch from the Space Shuttle in November of 1998. Following in the path of the Hubble Space Telescope and the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, this observatory will image light at X-ray wavelengths, facilitating the detailed study of such phenomena as supernovae and quasars. The AXAF project is sponsored by the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Because of exacting requirements on the performance of the AXAF optical system, it was necessary to reduce the transmission of reaction wheel jitter disturbances to the observatory. This reduction was accomplished via use of a passive mechanical isolation system to interface the reaction wheels with the spacecraft central structure. In addition to presenting a description of the spacecraft, the isolation system, and the key image quality requirement flowdown, this paper details the analyses performed in support of system-level imaging performance requirement verification. These analyses include the identification of system-level requirement suballocations, quantification of imaging and pointing performance, and formulation of unit-level isolation system transmissibility requirements. Given in comparison to the non-isolated system imaging performance, the results of these analyses clearly illustrate the effectiveness of an innovative reaction wheel passive isolation system.

Pendergast, Karl J.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Jitter Suppression Via Reaction Wheel Passive Isolation for the NASA Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility

Text: Third in the series of NASA great observatories, the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) is scheduled for launch from the Space Shuttle in September 1998. Following in the path of the Hubble Space Telescope and the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, this telescope will image light at x-ray wavelengths, facilitating the detailed study of such phenomena as supernovae and quasars. The AXAF program is sponsored by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama. Due to exacting requirements on the performance of the AXAF optical system, it is necessary to reduce the transmission of reaction wheel jitter disturbances to the observatory. This reduction is accomplished via use of a passive mechanical isolation system which acts as an interface between the reaction wheels and the spacecraft central structure.

Pendergast, Karl J.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Residents' reactions to long-term sonic boom exposure: Preliminary results

This presentation is about residents' reactions to sonic booms in a long-term sonic boom exposure environment. Although two phases of the data collection have been completed, the analysis of the data has only begun. The results are thus preliminary. The list of four authors reflects the complex multi-disciplinary character of any field study such as this one. Carey Moulton is responsible for Wyle Laboratories' acoustical data collection effort. Robert Baumgartner and Jeff Thomas of HBRS, a social science research firm, are responsible for social survey field work and data processing. The study is supported by the NASA Langley Research Center. The study has several objectives. The preliminary data addresses two of the primary objectives. The first objective is to describe the reactions to sonic booms of people who are living where sonic booms are a routine, recurring feature of the acoustical environment. The second objective is to compare these residents' reactions to the reactions of residents who hear conventional aircraft noise around airports. Here is an overview of the presentation. This study will first be placed in the context of previous community survey research on sonic booms. Next the noise measurement program will be briefly described and part of a social survey interview will be presented. Finally data will be presented on the residents' reactions and these reactions will be compared with reactions to conventional aircraft. Twelve community studies of residents' reactions to sonic booms were conducted in the United States and Europe in the 1960's and early 1970's. None of the 12 studies combined three essential ingredients that are found in the present study. Residents' long-term responses are related to a measured noise environment. Sonic booms are a permanent feature of the residential environment. The respondents' do not live on a military base. The present study is important because it provides the first dose/response relationship for sonic booms that could be expected to apply to residents in civilian residential areas.

Fields, James M.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Fault analysis of multichannel spacecraft power systems

The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center proposes to implement computer-controlled fault injection into an electrical power system breadboard to study the reactions of the various control elements of this breadboard. Elements under study include the remote power controllers, the algorithms in the control computers, and the artificially intelligent control programs resident in this breadboard. To this end, a study of electrical power system faults is being performed to yield a list of the most common power system faults. The results of this study will be applied to a multichannel high-voltage DC spacecraft power system called the large autonomous spacecraft electrical power system (LASEPS) breadboard. The results of the power system fault study and the planned implementation of these faults into the LASEPS breadboard are described.

Dugal-Whitehead, Norma R.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Catalysis of carbon monoxide methanation by deep sea manganate minerals

The catalytic activity of deep sea manganese nodule minerals for the methanation of carbon monoxide was measured with a microcatalytic technique between 200 and 460 degrees C. The manganate minerals were activated at 248 degrees C by immersion into a stream of hydrogen in which pulses of carbon monoxide were injected. Activation energies for the methanation reaction and hydrogen desorption from the manganate minerals were obtained and compared with those of pure nickel. Similar energy values indicate that the activity of the nodule materials for the reaction appears to be related to the amount of reducible transition metals present in the samples (ca. 11 wt.-%). Since the activity of the nodule minerals per gram is comparable to that of pure nickel, most of the transition metal ions located between manganese oxide layers appear to be exposed and available to catalyze the reaction.

Non-NASA Center↗

NASA NTRS1991

Ab initio study of C + H3+ reactions

The reaction C + H3+ --> CH(+) + H2 is frequently used in models of dense interstellar cloud chemistry with the assumption that it is fast, i.e. there are no potential energy barriers inhibiting it. Ab initio molecular orbital study of the triplet CH3+ potential energy surface (triplet because the reactant carbon atom is a ground state triplet) supports this hypothesis. The reaction product is 3 pi CH+; the reaction is to exothermic even though the product is not in its electronic ground state. No path has been found on the potential energy surface for C + H3+ --> CH2(+) + H reaction.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗

NASA NTRS2003

Corrosion Study Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy

Corrosion is a common phenomenon. It is the destructive result of chemical reaction between a metal or metal alloy and its environment. Stainless steel tubing is used at Kennedy Space Center for various supply lines which service the orbiter. The launch pads are also made of stainless steel. The environment at the launch site has very high chloride content due to the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Also, during a launch, the exhaust products in the solid rocket boosters include concentrated hydrogen chloride. The purpose of this project was to study various alloys by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy in corrosive environments similar to the launch sites. This report includes data and analysis of the measurements for 304L, 254SMO and AL-6XN in primarily neutral 3.55% NaCl. One set of data for 304L in neutral 3.55%NaCl + 0.1N HCl is also included.

Farooq, Muhammad Umar↗

NASA NTRS1994

Conventional and cross-correlation brain-stem auditory evoked responses in the white leghorn chick: rate manipulations

Rate-dependent changes in the chick brain-stem auditory evoked response (BAER) using conventional averaging and a cross-correlation technique were investigated. Five 15- to 19-day-old white leghorn chicks were anesthetized with Chloropent. In each chick, the left ear was acoustically stimulated. Electrical pulses of 0.1-ms duration were shaped, attenuated, and passed through a current driver to an Etymotic ER-2 which was sealed in the ear canal. Electrical activity from stainless-steel electrodes was amplified, filtered (300-3000 Hz) and digitized at 20 kHz. Click levels included 70 and 90 dB peSPL. In each animal, conventional BAERs were obtained at rates ranging from 5 to 90 Hz. BAERs were also obtained using a cross-correlation technique involving pseudorandom pulse sequences called maximum length sequences (MLSs). The minimum time between pulses, called the minimum pulse interval (MPI), ranged from 0.5 to 6 ms. Two BAERs were obtained for each condition. Dependent variables included the latency and amplitude of the cochlear microphonic (CM), wave 2 and wave 3. BAERs were observed in all chicks, for all level by rate combinations for both conventional and MLS BAERs. There was no effect of click level or rate on the latency of the CM. The latency of waves 2 and 3 increased with decreasing click level and increasing rate. CM amplitude decreased with decreasing click level, but was not influenced by click rate for the 70 dB peSPL condition. For the 90 dB peSPL click, CM amplitude was uninfluenced by click rate for conventional averaging. For MLS BAERs, CM amplitude was similar to conventional averaging for longer MPIs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS).

NASA Discipline Neuroscience↗

NASA NTRS1992

Proton transfer and energy coupling in the bacteriorhodopsin photocycle

A description of the rate constants and the energetics of the elementary reaction steps of the photocycle of bacteriorhodopsin has been helpful in understanding the mechanism of proton transport in this light-driven pump. The evidence suggests a single unbranched reaction sequence, BR-hv----K in equilibrium with L in equilibrium with M1----M2 in equilibrium with N in equilibrium with O----BR, where coupling to the proton-motive force is at the energetically and mechanistically important M1----M2 step. The consequences of site-specific mutations expressed homologously in Halobacterium halobium have revealed characteristics of the Schiff base deprotonation in the L----M1 reaction, the reorientation of the Schiff base from the extracellular to the cytoplasmic side in the M1----M2 reaction, and the reprotonation of the Schiff base in the M2----N reaction.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗

NASA NTRS2018

Instability and Target Design in a Z-Pinch Driven Pulsed Fission / Fusion Engine

Advanced forms of propulsion are required to drastically improve upon the limits of existing technology and enable deep space exploration. Nuclear reactors, both fission and fusion, have great potential as systems with high energy density for spacecraft propulsion. There are a variety of nuclear propulsion concepts that have been proposed over the last several decades. Some of these rely on the confinement of plasmas by both magnetic and inertial means. When discussing the plasma confinement one must consider the stability of the system. The conditions of the plasma dictate the burn rate of the nuclear fuel; therefore, the plasma must maintain a minimum set of conditions in order to achieve an adequate burn. Instabilities limit plasma confinement through growing fluctuations in density and pressure. This results in turbulent mixing and loss of confinement. Thus it is desirable to find ways of managing the impact of instabilities that arise in order for a sufficient burn of the fuel such that surplus energy can be converted into a propulsive force. Note that the same instabilities plague the confinement of plasmas for terrestrial power generation. Over the last several years there has been research relating to the development of a Pulsed Fission-Fusion Engine (PuFF) conducted by the authors and others at their respective institutions. The propulsion system concept centers on the use of a z-pinch to compress a plasma in order to induce nuclear reactions. The plasma along with the additional energy released by the fission and fusion processes is expanded with a magnetic nozzle to produce thrust. The concept, if developed, is expected to have an improvement in specific impulse of several orders of magnitude in comparison with chemical propulsion systems. The z-pinch has been explored in the past as a method to confine a plasma via magnetic confinement fusion (MCF) for power generation. It suffers; however, from instabilities that so far have prevented break even conditions.

Taylor, Brian↗

NASA NTRS2013

Reducing Pointing Errors During Cassini Reaction Control System Orbit Trim Maneuvers

The effect of altering a gain parameter in the Cassini reaction control system (RCS) delta-V controller on the maneuver execution errors during orbit trim maneuvers (OTMs) is explored. Cassini consists of two reaction control thruster branches (A & B) each with eight thrusters. Currently, the B-branch is operational while the A-branch serves as a back-up. The four Z-thrusters control the X and Y-axes, while the four Y-thrusters control the Z-axis. During an OTM, the Z-thrusters fire to maintain the X and Y-axes pointing within an attitude control dead-zone (-10 to 10 milliradians). The errors do not remain at zero due to pointing error sources such as spacecraft center of mass offset from the geometric center of the Z-facing thrusters, and variability in the thruster forces due to the thruster hardware differences. The delta-V reaction control system (RCS) controller ensures that the attitude error remains within this dead-zone. Gain parameters within the RCS delta-V controller affect the maneuver execution errors. Different parameter values are used to explore effect on these errors. It is found that pointing error decreases and magnitude error increases rapidly for gain parameters 10 times greater than the current parameter values used in the flight software.

European Space Agency (ESA)↗

NASA NTRS1973

Major variations in solar luminosity.

The solar neutrino problem is considered, giving attention to the experiments conducted to detect solar neutrinos and the possible reasons for the failure to detect neutrinos emitted from the solar interior. According to one suggestion the core of the sun is in a temporarily expanded condition with a consequent lowering in the emitted neutrino flux from the center of the sun. A possible mechanism that could provide the core expansion is proposed. The effects of mixing reactions in the solar interior are discussed together with variations in solar luminosity which might be responsible for the occurrence of the periods of glaciation.

Cameron, A. G. W.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Two-dimensional analysis of two-phase reacting flow in a firing direct-injection diesel engine

The flow field, spray penetration, and combustion in two-stroke diesel engines are described. Fuel injection begins at 345 degrees after top dead center (ATDC) and n-dodecane is used as the liquid fuel. Arrhenius kinetics is used to calculate the reaction rate term in the quasi-global combustion model. When the temperature, fuel, and oxygen mass fraction are within suitable flammability limits, combustion begins spontaneously. No spark is necessary to ignite a localized high temperature region. Compression is sufficient to increase the gaseous phase temperature to a point where spontaneous chemical reactions occur. Results are described for a swirl angle of 22.5 degrees.

Nguyen, H. Lee↗

NASA NTRS1993

Kinetics of the Reaction C2H + O2 from 193 to 350 K Using Laser Flash Kinetic Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy

Rate coefficients for the reaction C2H + O2 are measured from 193 to 350 K by using transient absorption spectroscopy with an infrared color center laser. Ethynyl radicals are produced by pulsed laser photolysis of C2H2 in a temperature variable flow cell and a tunable color center laser probes the transient removal Of C2H ((bar-X(sup 2))Sigma(+))(0,0,0)) in absorption. The rate coefficient has a slight negative temperature dependence over the range 193-350 K which can be expressed as k(O2) = (1.5 +/- 0.3) x 10(exp -11) exp((230 +/- 36)/T) Cu cm/(Molecule.s). The lack of a pressure dependence under our experimental conditions strongly suggests that the HCCOO* complex is short lived with respect to encountering a collision and rapidly dissociates to products without competition from collisional stabilization to HCCOO or collisionally induced dissociation to reactants.

Opansky, Brian J.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Research Activities at Plasma Research Laboratory at NASA Ames Research Center

In order to meet NASA's requirements for the rapid development and validation of future generation electronic devices as well as associated materials and processes, enabling technologies are being developed at NASA-Ames Research Center using a multi-discipline approach. The first step is to understand the basic physics of the chemical reactions in the area of plasma reactors and processes. Low pressure glow discharges are indispensable in the fabrication of microelectronic circuits. These plasmas are used to deposit materials and also etch fine features in device fabrication. However, many plasma-based processes suffer from stability and reliability problems leading to a compromise in performance and a potentially increased cost for the semiconductor manufacturing industry. Although a great deal of laboratory-scale research has been performed on many of these processing plasmas, little is known about the gas-phase and surface chemical reactions that are critical in many etch and deposition processes, and how these reactions are influenced by the variation in operating conditions. Such a lack of understanding has hindered the development of process models that can aid in the scaling and improvement of plasma etch and deposition systems. Our present research involves the study of such plasmas. An inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) source in place of the standard upper electrode assembly of the Gaseous Electronics Conference (GEC) radio-frequency (RF) Reference Cell is used to investigate the discharge characteristics. This ICP source generates plasmas with higher electron densities and lower operating pressures than obtainable with the original parallel-plate version of the GEC Cell. This expanded operating regime is more relevant to new generations of industrial plasma systems being used by the microelectronics industry. The research goal is to develop an understanding of the physical phenomena involved in plasma processing and to measure much needed fundamental parameters, such as gas phase and surface reaction rates, species concentration, temperature, ion energy distribution, and electron number density.

Sharma, S. P.↗

NASA NTRS2026

Prototype Demonstration of Solar Carbothermal System to Extract Oxygen from Regolith

The Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) project was an effort to develop a prototype system to demonstrate the extraction of oxygen from simulated lunar regolith using concentrated solar energy and a carbothermal reaction. The prototype consisted of a deployable solar concentrator capable of tracking the sun, carbothermal reactor, fluid system, gas analysis, and a solar concentrator control system consisting of avionics and software. These subsystems were developed by multiple NASA centers and a private industry partner, Sierra Space. The various teams worked together to define requirements and interfaces to successfully assemble the complex system and demonstrate an integrated solar carbothermal process. The solar concentrator developed at Glenn Research Center (GRC) was designed to be stowed for a launch environment then deployed on the lunar surface. It utilized a crossed dragone configuration of composite mirrors to direct horizontal sunlight onto a target 90° from the incoming sunlight. The key performance parameters for the solar concentrator were efficiency and power density. The carbothermal reactor was developed by Sierra Space through a separate project called the Carbothermal Oxygen Production Reactor (COPR) where it successfully demonstrated a fully automated process in a thermal vacuum environment. The fluid system needed for the carbothermal reaction was also developed by Sierra Space and successfully demonstrated in the same thermal vacuum test. The gas analysis system was developed at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and was required to determine the amount of oxygen extracted during each test. The gas analysis system was based on the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO) instrument. Avionics and software for the CaRD prototype were also developed at KSC and based on experience with MSOLO avionics and software. The control system was designed to stow, deploy, track the sun, and perform beam alignment of the concentrated light. The prototype subsystems were integrated and tested at Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Energy Systems Test Area. A heliostat was used to direct sunlight toward the prototype in a way that is representative of the sunlight conditions at the south pole of the Moon. When concentrated sunlight was focused on simulated lunar regolith within the reactor, the gas analysis team confirmed the presence of carbon monoxide gas, which confirmed that a solar carbothermal reaction took place. The key performance parameter for the integrated prototype was grams of oxygen extracted per kilowatt hour of energy arriving at the concentrator primary mirror. The prototype design successfully demonstrated end-to-end capability and further steps to achieve a flight capable system have been defined. With lunar data, engineers would be able to design a scaled-up system capable of extracting oxygen from regolith at useful quantities for crew life support and rocket propellant. On the long term, this method of In-Situ Resource Utilization could be used to drastically reduce the cost and risk of a sustained human presence on the Moon by reducing the amount of oxygen that would have to be delivered.

Aaron Paz↗

NASA NTRS2026

Prototype Demonstration of an Integrated Solar Concentrator System and Carbothermal Reactor Using Solar Energy to Extract Oxygen from Regolith

The Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) project was an effort to develop a prototype system to demonstrate the extraction of oxygen from simulated lunar regolith using concentrated solar energy and a carbothermal reaction. The prototype consisted of a deployable solar concentrator capable of tracking the sun, carbothermal reactor, fluid system, gas analysis, and a solar concentrator control system consisting of avionics and software. These subsystems were developed by multiple NASA centers and a private industry partner, Sierra Space. The various teams worked together to define requirements and interfaces to successfully assemble the complex system and demonstrate an integrated solar carbothermal process. The solar concentrator developed at Glenn Research Center (GRC) was designed to be stowed for a launch environment then deployed on the lunar surface. It utilized a crossed dragone configuration of composite mirrors to direct horizontal sunlight onto a target 90° from the incoming sunlight. The key performance parameters for the solar concentrator were efficiency and power density. The carbothermal reactor was developed by Sierra Space through a separate project called the Carbothermal Oxygen Production Reactor (COPR) where it successfully demonstrated a fully automated process in a thermal vacuum environment. The fluid system needed for the carbothermal reaction was also developed by Sierra Space and successfully demonstrated in the same thermal vacuum test. The gas analysis system was developed at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and was required to determine the amount of oxygen extracted during each test. The gas analysis system was based on the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO) instrument. Avionics and software for the CaRD prototype were also developed at KSC and based on experience with MSOLO avionics and software. The control system was designed to stow, deploy, track the sun, and perform beam alignment of the concentrated light. The prototype subsystems were integrated and tested at Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Energy Systems Test Area. A heliostat was used to direct sunlight toward the prototype in a way that is representative of the sunlight conditions at the south pole of the Moon. When concentrated sunlight was focused on simulated lunar regolith within the reactor, the gas analysis team confirmed the presence of carbon monoxide gas, which confirmed that a solar carbothermal reaction took place. The key performance parameter for the integrated prototype was grams of oxygen extracted per kilowatt hour of energy arriving at the concentrator primary mirror. The prototype design successfully demonstrated end-to-end capability and further steps to achieve a flight capable system have been defined. With lunar data, engineers would be able to design a scaled-up system capable of extracting oxygen from regolith at useful quantities for crew life support and rocket propellant. On the long term, this method of In-Situ Resource Utilization could be used to drastically reduce the cost and risk of a sustained human presence on the Moon by reducing the amount of oxygen that would have to be delivered.

Oxygen from Regolith↗

NASA NTRS1988

A molecular orbital study of a model of the Mg2+ coordination complex of the self splicing reaction of ribosomal RNA

Recent discoveries have established the fact that RNA is capable of acting as an enzyme. In this study two different types of molecular orbital calculations, INDO and ab initio, were used in an attempt to assess the structural/functional role of the Mg2+ hydrated complex in ribozyme reactions. Preliminary studies indicate that the reaction is multistep and that the Mg2+ complex exerts a stabilizing effect on the intermediate or midpoint of the reaction.

Non-NASA Center↗