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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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Proposed heat switch transfers heat from source to sink in regular cycles. Self-sustaining; actuated by transferred heat, contains no moving parts, and needs no external heaters or electronic circuitry to synchronize heat-transfer periods or control heat-transfer rates. Intended for use in gas-sorption refrigerator.
This paper investigates induced oscillation (specifically subsynchronous torsional interactions) in power systems arising from photovoltaic (PV) power modulation. Time domain simulations of a modified IEEE first-benchmark system are presented and analyzed. In the IEEE benchmark system, a PV generator was added at the same bus where the synchronous generator is connected. The impact of different parameters of the PV inverters volt-volt-ampere reactive (volt-var) curve on SSTI is examined. The most severe impact found arises from the time response of the inverters reactive power change. A second-order time response with natural frequency matching the rotor speed deviation oscillation frequency and low-damping ratio quickly drives the system to an unstable region. Although it is highly unlikely that conditions necessary for distributed energy resource-induced oscillations would occur in the field, with knowledge of this vulnerability in mind, inverters' control parameters can be designed to avoid it.
The observation is discussed of a train of hydromagnetic waves with a period of about 150 sec seen at synchronous orbit by the ATS 6 spacecraft on June 27, 1974. The critical observation is a phase shift of 90 deg between east-west oscillations of the particle flow and the east-west component of magnetic field oscillations. This phase shift alone suggests a standing rather than a propagating hydromagnetic wave. Careful processing of the particle data makes it possible to determine the drift velocity and hence the electric field of the wave. The wave electric field together with the time-varying magnetic field reveals an oscillating Poynting vector with zero mean component aligned with the ambient magnetic field and nonzero azimuthal (westward) component.
NASA's twin GRAIL [1] spacecraft (Ebb and Flow) arrived at Earth's Moon on New Year's Day, 2012. GRAIL's primary mission is to create a high-resolution map of the Moon's gravitational field by measuring very precisely the change in distance between the two spacecraft [2]. Each spacecraft transmits two signals to the other spacecraft, a PRN code modulated on a 2 GHz carrier (S-band), as well as an unmodulated carrier at roughly 33 GHz (Ka-band). Since it's not feasible to synchronize the two GRAIL spacecraft's clocks via GPS (as was done with GRACE), the S-band signals are used as a time-transfer link to synchronize either Ebb's clock to Flow or vice versa. As an independent measure to determine the clock offset of the GRAIL ultra-stable oscillators to UTC(NIST), an experiment was conducted where our JPL team used a large antenna on Earth to eavesdrop on the inter-spacecraft time-transfer link.
This paper investigates induced oscillation (specifically subsynchronous torsional interactions) in power systems arising from photovoltaic (PV) power modulation. Time domain simulations of a modified IEEE first-benchmark system are presented and analyzed. In the IEEE benchmark system, a PV generator was added at the same bus where the synchronous generator is connected. The impact of different parameters of the PV inverters’ volt-volt-ampere reactive (volt-var) curve on SSTI is examined. The most severe impact found arises from the time response of the inverter’s reactive power change. A second-order time response with natural frequency matching the rotor speed deviation oscillation frequency and low-damping ratio quickly drives the system to an unstable region. Although it is highly unlikely that conditions necessary for distributed energy resource-induced oscillations would occur in the field, with knowledge of this vulnerability in mind, inverters' control parameters can be designed to avoid it.
Much attention has been given to the climate dynamics and habitable boundaries of synchronously rotating planets around low mass stars. However, other rotational states are possible, including spin–orbit resonant configurations, particularly when higher eccentricity orbits can be maintained in a system. Additionally, the oscillating strain as a planet moves from periastron to apoastron results in friction and tidal heating, which can be an important energy source. Here, we simulate the climate of ocean-covered planets near the inner edge of the habitable zone around M to solar stars with the NASA GISS ROCKE-3D general circulation model, and leverage the planetary evolution software package, VPLanet, to calculate tidal heating rates for Earth-sized planets orbiting 2600 and 3000 K stars. This study is the first to use a 3D general circulation model that implements tidal heating to investigate habitability for multiple resonant states. We find that for reference experiments without tidal heating, the resonant state has little impact on the radial position of the inner edge because for a given stellar flux, higher-order states tend to be warmer than synchronous rotators, but for a given temperature, have drier upper atmospheres. However, when strong tidal heating is present, the rotational component implies a strong dependence of habitable conditions on the system evolution and rotational state. Since tidal and stellar heating both decrease rapidly with orbital distance, this results in a compact orbital width separating temperate and uninhabitable climates. We summarize these results and also compare ROCKE-3D to previously published simulations of the inner edge.
A self-synchronizing schlieren flow visualization technique has been developed to study unsteady periodic flows which may result from aeroelastic effects. The technique allows the experimentalist to stroboscopically 'freeze' the streak line pattern at any phase in one period of the motion by driving the schlieren light source with an electronically processed synchronizing signal that is derived by measuring a periodic flow variable with a convenient sensor. Results for the visualization of the near-wake behind an oscillating airfoil at low speeds which show an ordered series of discrete vortices and a curious short-wave-length wake disturbance are examined. Results are also presented for edge tone sound generation.
Three kinds of frequency measuring systems are described: frequency comparison, phase comparison, and time comparison. With the help of the portable cesium clock in determining the time delay between two stations, a time synchronization, experiment was conducted using the Symphonie satellite. A result with an accuracy of 30 ns and an uncertainty of about 10 ns was obtained. Another experiment, applying the television pulse technique for time synchronization, yielded a result with an error of about 0.5 mu s in 24 hours. In order to measure the short term frequency stability of crystal oscillators or other frequency sources, a rubidium maser atomic frequency standard was developed as well as a short term stability measuring system.
Possibility for control and operation of a three-phase solid state soft switching transformer based as a virtual synchronous machine or synchronverter has been investigated in this paper. The soft switching solid state transformer is used as an interface between the ac grid and a photovoltaic power generation unit supported by a battery bank. The control architecture investigated in this paper is that of a synchronverter to achieve inertial support to the grid and local loads. The operation of the soft switching solid state transformer has also been investigated as a V S M during unbalanced/distorted grid voltage condition. Control objective to achieve oscillation free power transfer between the ports (photovoltaic, battery and grid) has been achieved. The presented architecture has been verified for several important case studies via numerical simulations based on MATLAB/Simulink domain.
A digital pulse programmer producing the standard pulse sequences required for pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is described. In addition, a 'saturation burst' sequence, useful in the measurement of long relaxation times in solids, is provided. Both positive and negative 4 V trigger pulses are produced that are fully synchronous with a crystal-controlled time base, and the pulse programmer may be phase-locked with a maximum pulse jitter of 3 ns to the oscillator of a coherent pulse spectrometer. Medium speed TTL integrated circuits are used throughout.
Grid-forming inverters rely upon an internal reference to regulate the grid’s voltage and frequency. Without a reliable reference, issues such as loss of synchronism, frequency instability, and unequal power sharing can occur. One proposed internal phase reference for grid-forming inverters is generated by the controller’s clock, but this is affected by nonidealities in the crystal oscillator leading to time drift in the phase reference. To improve the controller’s clock accuracy, the Global Positioning System (GPS) can be used to calibrate the internal clock. Previously, GPS-based clock calibration was explored theoretically and various methods were developed for mitigating frequency/phase drift at the power system level. This paper experimentally validates the direct performance of GPS time-calibration at the controller level and justifies its use in maintaining an accurate phase reference for droop-based grid-forming inverters.
Grid-forming inverters rely upon an internal reference to regulate the grid 's voltage and frequency. Without a reliable reference, issues such as loss of synchronism, frequency instability, and unequal power sharing can occur. One proposed internal phase reference for grid-forming inverters is generated by the controller's clock, but this is affected by nonidealities in the crystal oscillator leading to time drift in the phase reference. To improve the controller's clock accuracy, the Global Positioning System (GPS) can be used to calibrate the internal clock. Previously, GPS-based clock calibration was explored theoretically and various methods were developed for mitigating frequency/phase drift at the power system level. This paper experimentally validates the direct performance of GPS time-calibration at the controller level and justifies its use in maintaining an accurate phase reference for droop-based grid-forming inverters.
This paper presents the development of the Inverter Based Resource Monitor (IBRM), an innovative behind-the-meter synchronized measurement unit (SMU) tailored for integration with inverter-based resources (IBRs). The IBRM distinguishes itself as a highly accurate and cost-effective SMU, offering facile deployment and connectivity to IBRs. It is equipped to conduct real-time voltage and current waveform analyses, serving as a phasor measurement unit (PMU) with exceptionally rapid synchrophasor transmission capabilities. The device incorporates a cutting-edge dual-core architecture designed to minimize sampling delays inherent to its microprocessor, thereby enhancing the precision of synchronized waveform measurements. Moreover, the IBRM is adept at recording high-fidelity waveform data, capturing nuances such as waveform distortions, high-order harmonics, and wide-band oscillations prevalent in power grids with substantial IBR presence. A prototype of the IBRM has been constructed and subjected to rigorous testing to assess its functional capabilities and measurement precision, utilizing both idealized signal generators and a real-world off-grid inverter setup as benchmarks.
A scanning mirror assembly which is part of a Synchronous Orbit Meteorological Satellite is an example where mission objectives required measurement and control of weight, mass center, principal moments of inertia, and products of inertia. The scanning mirror oscillates within the spin stabilized spacecraft, and both the scanning motor torque and perturbation of spacecraft attitude and spin rate have to be reduced to low levels. A theoretically ideal solution would be to make the mirror inertia constant about all axes in a plane perpendicular to the oscillation axis. A practically attainable compromise is to locate principal axes preferentially and make the difference between two of them acceptably small. Methods for making the necessary mass property measurements and deriving and applying minimum weight ballast correction to achieve the necessary mass distribution are discussed. It is noted that mass property control operations are typically subject to practical constraints such as geometry and functional operation of the system and capability of available measurement facilities and fixtures.
It is a well-documented fact that cycles of light and dark (LD) are the major entraining agent or 'zeitgeber' for circadian rhythms and that cycles of eating and fasting (EF) are capable of synchronizing a few circadian rhythms in the squirrel monkey. In this paper, by contrasting how these rhythms are timed by LD and EF cycles, the differential coupling to the oscillating system within adult male squirrel monkeys is examined. The variables measured are the rhythms of drinking, colonic temperature, and urinary potassium and water excretion. Attention is given to a comparison of the reproducibility of the averaged waveforms of the rhythms, the stability of the timing of a phase reference point, and the rate of resynchronization of these rhythms following an abrupt 8-hr phase delay in the zeitgeber. It is shown that the colonic temperature rhythm is more tightly controlled by LD than EF cycles, and that the drinking and urinary rhythms are more tightly coupled to EF than LD cycles.
Event location in power systems is quite essential information for system operators to enhance control-room situational awareness capability. Therefore, it is of great importance to develop an event location estimation algorithm for transmission systems with high accuracy. With the development of wide-area measurement system (WAMS) such as FNET/GridEye, and the synchrophasor measurement devices (SMDs) such as frequency disturbance recorders (FDRs), the synchronous measurement data including frequency, voltage amplitude and phase angle can be collected and used for event location estimation. First, the phase angle and rate of change of frequency (RoCoF) trajectories are respectively used for determining two sets of wave arrival time associated with each FDR. Then, a convolutional neural network (CNN) is utilized to determine the wave arrival order to select the more suitable set of wave arrival times for a given case and to perform corresponding modifications. Next, the oscillation intensity associated with each FDR is determined based on phase angle trajectories in the center of inertia (COI) coordinate system. Finally, the multiple criteria for event location estimation are represented. In conclusion, case studies and comparisons between the proposed and previous algorithms using actual and confirmed cases in U.S. power systems are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness and improvement of the proposed algorithm in practical applications.
A method and apparatus for correcting errors in an electronic digital timepiece that includes an oscillator which has a 2 in. frequency output, an n-stage frequency divider for reducing the oscillator output frequency to a time keeping frequency, and means for displaying the count of the time keeping frequency. In first and second embodiments of the invention the timepiece is synchronized with a time standard at the beginning of the period of time T. In the first embodiment of the invention the timepiece user observes E (the difference between the time standard and the timepiece time at the end of the period T) and then operates a switch to correct the time of the timepiece and to obtain a count for E. In the second embodiment of the invention, the user operates a switch at the beginning of T and at the end of T and a count for E is obtained electronically.
Circadian clocks have evolved to predict and coordinate physiologic processes with the rhythmic environment on Earth. Space studies in non-human primates and humans have suggested that this clock persists in its rhythmicity in space but that its function is altered significantly in long-term space flight. Under normal circumstances, the clock is synchronized by the light-dark cycle via the retinohypothalamic tract and the suprachiasmatic nucleus. It is also entrained by restricted feeding regimes via a suprachiasmatic nucleus-independent circadian oscillator. The site of this suboscillator (or oscillators) is not known, but new evidence has suggested that peripheral tissues in the liver and viscera may express circadian clock function when forced to do so by restricted feeding schedules or other homeostatic disruptions. New research on the role of the circadian clock in the control of feeding on Earth and in space is warranted.