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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

TNT equivalency study for space shuttle (EOS). Volume 1: Management summary report

The existing TNT equivalency criterion for LO2/LH2 propellant is reevaluated. It addresses the static, on-pad phase of the space shuttle launch operations and was performed to determine whether the use of a TNT equivalency criterion lower than that presently used (60%) could be substantiated. The large quantity of propellant on-board the space shuttle, 4 million pounds, was considered of prime importance to the study. A qualitative failure analysis of the space shuttle (EOS) on the launch pad was made because it was concluded that available test data on the explosive yield of LO2/LH2 propellant was insufficient to support a reduction in the present TNT equivalency value, considering the large quantity of propellant used in the space shuttle. The failure analysis had two objectives. The first was to determine whether a failure resulting in the total release of propellant could occur. The second was to determine whether, if such a failure did occur, ignition could be delayed long enough to allow the degree of propellant mixing required to produce an explosion of 60% TNT equivalency since the explosive yield of this propellant is directly related to the quantities of LH2 and LO2 mixed at the time of the explosion.

Wolfe, R. R.↗

A theoretical evaluation of rigid baffles in suppression of combustion instability

An analytical technique for the prediction of the effects of rigid baffles on the stability of liquid propellant combustors is presented. This analysis employs both two and three dimensional combustor models characterized by concentrated combustion sources at the chamber injector and a constant Mach number nozzle. An eigenfunction-matching method is used to solve the linearized partial differential equations describing the unsteady flow field for both models. Boundary layer corrections to this unsteady flow are used in a mechanical energy dissipation model to evaluate viscous and turbulence effects within the flow. An integral stability relationship is then employed to predict the decay rate of the oscillations. Results of this analysis agree qualitatively with experimental observations and show that sufficient dissipation exists to indicate that the proper mechanism of baffle damping is a fluid dynamic loss.

Combustion instability↗

Theoretical evaluation of rigid baffles in the suppression of combustion instability

An analytical technique for the prediction of the effects of rigid baffles on the stability of liquid propellant combustors is presented. This analysis employs both two and three dimensional combustor models characterized by concentrated combustion sources at the chamber injector and a constant Mach number nozzle. An eigenfunction-matching method is used to solve the linearized partial differential equations describing the unsteady flow field for both models. Boundary layer corrections to this unsteady flow are in a mechanical energy dissipation model to evaluate viscous and turbulence effects within the flow. An integral instability relationship is then employed to predict the decay rate of the oscillations. Results of this analysis agree qualitatively with experimental observations and show that sufficient dissipation exists to indicate that the proper mechanism of baffle damping is a fluid dynamic loss. The response of the dissipation model to varying baffle blade length, mean flow Mach number, oscillation amplitude, baffle configuration, and oscillation mode is examined.

Combustion instability↗

A theoretical evaluation of rigid baffles in suppression of combustion instability

An analytical technique for the prediction of the effects of rigid baffles on the stability of liquid propellant combustors is presented. This analysis employs a three dimensional combustor model characterized by a concentrated combustion source at the chamber injector and a constant Mach number nozzle. An eigenfunction-matching method is used to solve the linearized partial differential equations describing the unsteady flow field. Boundary layer corrections to this unsteady flow are used in a mechanical energy dissipation model to evaluate viscous and turbulence effects within the flow. An integral stability relationship is then employed to predict the decay rate of the oscillations. Results of this analysis agree qualitatively with experimental observations and show that sufficient dissipation exists to indicate that the proper mechanism of baffle damping is a fluid dynamic loss. The response of the dissipation model to varying baffle blade length, mean flow Mach number and oscillation amplitude is examined.

Combustion instability↗

Analytical prediction of aerothermal environment in a wing-elevon cove

The fluid/thermal environment in the cove between the wing and elevon surfaces was a concern throughout the design and initial operational phases of the space shuttle. Experimenal and analytical investigations provided some understanding of the environmental in the wing-elevon cove. An incompressible finite element analysis of flow through straight parallel walls and curved parallel walls to determine the effects of cove geomtry on the fluid/thermal environment is described. Results from this analysis agree qualitatively with experimental data. The centerline gas temperatures and cold wall heating rates are virtually identical for the two cases indicating that the slight curvature has little effect on the overall thermal environment.

Bey, K. S.↗

The lift of sharp-leading-edged delta wings with blowing

An analysis of the lift augmentation due to a thin jet of air issuing from a slot along the leading edge of a delta wing is presented. The problem is treated with an extension of the method of Brown and Michael, representing the separated flow on the lee side of the wing by a pair of concentrated vortices and corresponding feeding sheets. It is assumed that the jet is not affected by Coanda forces. The analysis produces qualitative agreement with experiments.

Tavella, D. A.↗

Impact-induced fracture in a quasi-isotropic laminate

A systematic study of impact-induced fracture in a quasi-isotropic laminated composite is carried out. The main focus of the study is to understand damage initiation when a laminate is subjected to the impact of a foreign object. The total incipient damage of a laminate subjected to impact at higher than threshold velocity is also presented. The incipient damage is restricted to small growth from the initiation of the damage. The experimentally collected data are interpreted using a two-dimensional plane-strain finite-element analysis. The qualitative comparison suggests that the skew cracks in the proximal layers are primarily due to transverse shear stress. Skew cracks in the middle layers are also due to transverse shear stress. Vertical cracks in the distal layer are due to flexural stress transverse to the fiber orientation of the layer.

Joshi, S. P.↗

Use of near infrared correlation spectroscopy for quantitation of surface iron, absorbed water and stored electronic energy in a suite of Mars soil analog materials

A number of questions concerning the surface mineralogy and the history of water on Mars remain unresolved using the Viking analyses and Earth-based telescopic data. Identification and quantitation of iron-bearing clays on Mars would elucidate these outstanding issues. Near infrared correlation analysis, a method typically applied to qualitative and quantitative analysis of individual constituents of multicomponent mixtures, is adapted here to selection of distinctive features of a small, highly homologous series of Fe/Ca-exchanged montmorillonites and several kalinites. Independently determined measures of surface iron, relative humidity and stored electronic energy were used as constituent data for linear regression of the constituent vs. reflectance data throughout the spectral region 0.68 to 2.5 micrometers. High correlations were found in appropriate regions for all three constituents, though that with stored energy is still considered tenuous. Quantitation was improved using 1st and 2nd derivative spectra. High resolution data over a broad spectral range would be required to quantitatively identify iron-bearing clays by remotely sensed reflectance.

Coyne, Lelia M.↗

Dynamic edge warping - An experimental system for recovering disparity maps in weakly constrained systems

Dynamic edge warping (DEW), a technique for recovering reasonably accurate disparity maps from uncalibrated stereo image pairs, is presented. No precise knowledge of the epipolar camera geometry is assumed. The technique is embedded in a system including structural stereopsis on the front end and robust estimation in digital photogrammetry on the other for the purpose of self-calibrating stereo image pairs. Once the relative camera orientation is known, the epipolar geometry is computed and the system can use this information to refine its representation of the object space. Such a system will find application in the autonomous extraction of terrain maps from stereo aerial photographs, for which camera position and orientation are unknown a priori, and for online autonomous calibration maintenance for robotic vision applications, in which the cameras are subject to vibration and other physical disturbances after calibration. This work thus forms a component of an intelligent system that begins with a pair of images and, having only vague knowledge of the conditions under which they were acquired, produces an accurate, dense, relative depth map. The resulting disparity map can also be used directly in some high-level applications involving qualitative scene analysis, spatial reasoning, and perceptual organization of the object space. The system as a whole substitutes high-level information and constraints for precise geometric knowledge in driving and constraining the early correspondence process.

Boyer, K. L.↗

Advanced nozzle and engine components test facility

A test facility for conducting scaled advanced nozzle and engine component research is described. The CE-22 test facility, located in the Engine Research Building of the NASA Lewis Research Center, contains many systems for the economical testing of advanced scale-model nozzles and engine components. The combustion air and altitude exhaust systems are described. Combustion air can be supplied to a model up to 40 psig for primary air flow, and 40, 125, and 450 psig for secondary air flow. Altitude exhaust can be simulated up to 48,000 ft, or the exhaust can be atmospheric. Descriptions of the multiaxis thrust stand, a color schlieren flow visualization system used for qualitative flow analysis, a labyrinth flow measurement system, a data acquisition system, and auxiliary systems are discussed. Model recommended design information and temperature and pressure instrumentation recommendations are included.

Beltran, Luis R.↗

The instability of a liquid jet in a compressible airstream

The instability of a liquid jet immersed in a coflowing compressible airstream is investigated, for both two-dimensional and circular jets, using a simplified flow model in which the effects associated with the cross-flow component of velocity are ignored. Results of the analysis agreed qualitatively with experimental results in that they suggest a more violent instability when the free-stream Mach number is close to unity. It was also found that a change from convective to absolute instability occurs in this transonic flow regime.

Li, H.-S.↗

Advanced nozzle and engine components test facility

A test facility for conducting scaled advanced nozzle and engine component research is described. The CE-22 test facility, located in the Engine Research Building of the NASA Lewis Research Center, contains many systems for the economical testing of advanced scale-model nozzles and engine components. The combustion air and altitude exhaust systems are described. Combustion air can be supplied to a model up to 40 psig for primary air flow, and 40, 125, and 450 psig for secondary air flow. Altitude exhaust can be simulated up to 48,000 ft, or the exhaust can be atmospheric. Descriptions of the multiaxis thrust stand, a color schlieren flow visualization system used for qualitative flow analysis, a labyrinth flow measurement system, a data acquisition system, and auxiliary systems are discussed. Model recommeded design information and temperature and pressure instrumentation recommendations are included.

Beltran, Luis R.↗

NASA's upper atmosphere research satellite: A program to study global ozone change

The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is a major initiative in the NASA Office of Space Science and Applications, and is the prototype for NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) planned for launch in the 1990s. The UARS combines a balanced program of experimental and theoretical investigations to perform diagnostic studies, qualitative model analysis, and quantitative measurements and comparative studies of the upper atmosphere. UARS provides theoretical and experimental investigations which pursue four specific research topics: atmospheric energy budget, chemistry, dynamics, and coupling processes. An international cadre of investigators was assembled by NASA to accomplish those scientific objectives. The observatory, its complement of ten state of the art instruments, and the ground system are nearing flight readiness. The timely UARS program will play a major role in providing data to understand the complex physical and chemical processes occurring in the upper atmosphere and answering many questions regarding the health of the ozone layer.

Luther, Michael R.↗

The use of satellite observations in ice cover simulations

Satellites can furnish observational data on ice cover over greater areas and for longer periods than field observations; a combination of visible or IR fine-resolution satellite imagery and radar altimetry, in conjunction with coarse-resolution data from passive microwave sources, have been used to verify and validate many numerical models of ice cover. Satellite passive microwave data are especially useful in the case of large-scale models used in studies of sea ice interannual variability. A number of remotely-sensed data sources are used by the NOAA's Joint Ice Center to create a qualitative weekly analysis of ice concentrations.

Preller, Ruth H.↗

Flight test of the X-29A at high angle of attack: Flight dynamics and controls

The NASA Dryden Flight Research Center has flight tested two X-29A aircraft at low and high angles of attack. The high-angle-of-attack tests evaluate the feasibility of integrated X-29A technologies. More specific objectives focus on evaluating the high-angle-of-attack flying qualities, defining multiaxis controllability limits, and determining the maximum pitch-pointing capability. A pilot-selectable gain system allows examination of tradeoffs in airplane stability and maneuverability. Basic fighter maneuvers provide qualitative evaluation. Bank angle captures permit qualitative data analysis. This paper discusses the design goals and approach for high-angle-of-attack control laws and provides results from the envelope expansion and handling qualities testing at intermediate angles of attack. Comparisons of the flight test results to the predictions are made where appropriate. The pitch rate command structure of the longitudinal control system is shown to be a valid design for high-angle-of-attack control laws. Flight test results show that wing rock amplitude was overpredicted and aileron and rudder effectiveness were underpredicted. Flight tests show the X-29A airplane to be a good aircraft up to 40 deg angle of attack.

Bauer, Jeffrey E.↗