Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “wide”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 235 records · Page 13

Design, fabrication and test of prototype furnace for continuous growth of wide silicon ribbon

A program having the overall objective of growing wide, thin silicon dendritic web crystals quasi-continuously from a semi-automated facility is discussed. The design considerations and fabrication of the facility as well as the test and operation phase are covered; detailed engineering drawings are included as an appendix. During the test and operation phase of the program, more than eighty growth runs and numerous thermal test runs were performed. At the conclusion of the program, 2.4 cm wide web was being grown at thicknesses of 100 to 300 micrometers. As expected, the thickness and growth rate are closely related. Solar cells made from this material were tested at NASA-Lewis and found to have conversion efficiencies comparable to devices fabricated from Czochralski material.

Duncan, C. S.↗

Remote sensing as a tool for watershed-wide estimation of net solar radiation and water loss to the atmosphere

Results are presented for a study intended to develop a general remote sensing-aided cost-effective procedure to estimate watershed-wide water loss to the atmosphere via evapotranspiration and to estimate net solar radiation over the watershed. Evapotranspiration estimation employs a basic two-stage two-phase sample of three information resolution levels. Net solar radiation is taken as one of the variables at each level of evapotranspiration modeling. The input information for models requiring spatial information will be provided by Landsat digital data, environmental satellite data, ground meteorological data, ground sample unit information, and topographic data. The outputs of the sampling-estimation/data bank system will be in-place maps of evapotranspiration on a data resolution element basis, watershed-wide evapotranspiration isopleths, and estimates of watershed and subbasin total evapotranspiration with associated statistical confidence bounds. The methodology developed is being tested primarily on the Spanish Creek Watershed Plumas County, California.

Khorram, S.↗

Wind-tunnel tests of wide-chord teetering rotors with and without outboard flapping hinges

Wind tunnel tests of aeroelastically designed helicopter rotor models were conducted to obtain rotor aerodynamic performance and dynamic response data pertaining to two-bladed teetering rotors with a wider chord and lower hover tip speed than currently employed on production helicopters. The effects of a flapping hinge at 62 percent radius were also studied. Finally, the effects of changing tip mass on operating characteristics of the rotor with the outboard flapping hinge were examined. The models were tested at several shaft angles of attack for five advance ratios, 0.15, 0.25, 0.35, 0.40, and 0.45. For each combination of shaft angle and advance ratio, the rotor lift was varied over a wide range to include simulated maneuver conditions. At each test condition, rotor aerodynamic performance and dynamic response data were obtained. From these tests, it was found that wide-chord rotors may be subject to large control forces. An outboard flapping hinge may be used to reduce beamwise bending moments over a significant part of the blade radius without significantly affecting the chordwise bending moments.

Weller, W. H.↗

Logarithmic circuit with wide dynamic range

A circuit deriving an output voltage that is proportional to the logarithm of a dc input voltage susceptible to wide variations in amplitude includes a constant current source which forward biases a diode so that the diode operates in the exponential portion of its voltage versus current characteristic, above its saturation current. The constant current source includes first and second, cascaded feedback, dc operational amplifiers connected in negative feedback circuit. An input terminal of the first amplifier is responsive to the input voltage. A circuit shunting the first amplifier output terminal includes a resistor in series with the diode. The voltage across the resistor is sensed at the input of the second dc operational feedback amplifier. The current flowing through the resistor is proportional to the input voltage over the wide range of variations in amplitude of the input voltage.

Wiley, P. H.↗

Wide-temperature-spectrum self-lubricating coatings prepared by plasma spraying

Self-lubricating, multicomponent coatings, which lubricate over a wide range of operating conditions, are described. The coatings were successfully applied by plasma-spraying mixed powders onto superalloy substrates. They were evaluated in friction and wear experiments, and in sliding contact bearing tests. These coatings are wear resistant by virtue of their self lubricating characteristics rather than because of extreme hardness; a further benefit is low friction. Experiments with simple pin on disk sliding specimens and oscillating plain cylindrical bearing tests were performed to evaluate the tribological properties of the coatings. It was shown that coatings of nichrome, glass and calcium fluoride are self-lubricating from about 500 to 900 C, but give high friction at the lower temperatures. The addition of silver to the coating composition improved the low temperature bearing properties and resulted in coatings which are self-lubricating from cryogenic temperatures to at least 870 C; they are therefore, wide temperature spectrum, self-lubricating compositions.

Sliney, H. E.↗

Wide field/planetary camera optics study

Design feasibility of the baseline optical design concept was established for the wide field/planetary camera (WF/PC) and will be used with the space telescope (ST) to obtain high angular resolution astronomical information over a wide field. The design concept employs internal optics to relay the ST image to a CCD detector system. Optical design performance predictions, sensitivity and tolerance analyses, manufacturability of the optical components, and acceptance testing of the two mirror Cassegrain relays are discussed.

Source record↗

Wide-temperature-spectrum self-lubricating coatings prepared by plasma spraying

Self-lubricating, multicomponent coatings, which lubricate over a wide range of operating conditions, are described. The coatings have been successfully applied by plasma-spraying mixed powders onto superalloy substrates. They have been evaluated in friction and wear experiments, and in sliding contact bearing tests. These coatings are wear resistant by virtue of their self-lubricating characteristics rather than because of extreme hardness; a further benefit is low friction. Experiments with simple pin on disk sliding specimens and oscillating plain cylindrical bearing tests were performed to evaluate the tribological properties of the coatings. It was shown that coatings of nichrome, glass and calcium fluoride are self-lubricating from about 500 to 900 C, but give high friction at the lower temperatures. The addition of silver to the coating composition improved the low temperature bearing properties and resulted in coatings which are self-lubricating from cryogenic temperatures to at least 870 C; they are therefore 'wide temperature spectrum,' self-lubricating compositions.

Sliney, H. E.↗

Conceptual performance of a satellite borne, wide swath synthetic aperture radar

A satellite borne synthetic aperture radar can image a wide swath in the order of 700 km with one-look 100-m resolution. If the design meets the ambiguity constraints at the far edge of the swath, the maximum swath width is independent of both radar wavelength and shape of the physical antenna aperture. The antenna pattern can be a pencil beam scanned in the elevation plane, or a fan beam formed by a long antenna. The scanning pencil beam antenna may be a phased array or multiple-feed reflector which may be more practical than a long antenna to image a wide swath. Design performance trade computations are presented involving resolution, swath width, antenna area, average transmitter power and digital data rate.

Tomiyasu, K.↗

Development of a synthetic aperture radar design approach for wide-swath implementation

The first phase of a study program to develop an advanced synthetic aperture radar design concept is presented. Attributes of particular importance for the system design include wide swath coverage, reduced power requirements, and versatility in the selection of frequency, polarization and incident angle. The multiple beam configuration provides imaging at a nearly constant angle of incidence and offers the potential of realizing a wide range of the attributes desired for an orbital imaging radar for Earth resources applications.

Jean, B. R.↗

The wide field/planetary camera

A wide site of potential astronomical and solar system scientific studies using the wide field planetary camera on space telescope are described. The expected performance of the camera as it approaches final assembly and testing is also detailed.

Westphal, J. A.↗

Wide field of view laser beacon system for three-dimensional aircraft position measurement

This paper presents a new wide field of view laser beacon system for measurement, in three dimensions, of aircraft or other remote objects. The system is developed for aircraft collision hazard warning independent of ground-based hardware, as well as for flight research, helicopter-assisted construction and rescue, and robotic manipulation applications. Accurate information describing the relative range, elevation, and azimuth of the aircraft are generated by the sweep of a low-power fan-shaped rotating laser beacon past an array of optical detectors. The system achieves a wide angle of acceptance of laser beacon light through use of compound parabolic concentrators, which collimate the light for spectral filtering to minimize solar interference. An on-board microprocessor system converts the pulse sequence to aircraft position in real time. System reliability and performance are enhanced through narrow pass filtering of the pulse signals, digital logic design to mask spurious signals, and adaptive modulation of trigger threshold levels.

Sweet, L. M.↗

Wind-tunnel investigation of several high aspect-ratio supercritical wing configurations on a wide-body-type fuselage

An investigation was conducted in the Langley 8-foot transonic pressure tunnel on two aspect-ratio 11.95 supercritical wings that were tested in combination with a representative wide-body-type fuselage. The two supercritical wings have identical planforms for equal sweep angles and differ only in thickness. Each wing was tested at quarter-chord sweep angles of 27 deg and 30 deg. At the higher sweep angle, the aspect ratio is reduced to 11.36. At 27 deg of quarter-chord sweep, the thicker supercritical wing (SCW-1) has maximum streamwise thickness-to-chord ratios of 0.16 at the wing-fuselage juncture, 0.14 at the planform break station, and 0.12 at the tip. The thinner wing (SCW-2) has maximum streamwise thickness-to-chord ratios of 0.144, 0.12, and 0.10 at the same stations respectively. Tests were also conducted on the thinner supercritical wing at the 27 deg sweep angle with a 15.24 cm (6.0 in.) shorter span which results in an aspect ratio of 10.25. For comparison, data were obtained on a current wide-body transport wing (AR=7) that was tested on the same fuselage used with the supercritical wings.

Bartlett, D. W.↗

Wide-field shadowgraph flow visualization of tip vortices generated by a helicopter rotor

The vortex trajectory and vortex wake generated by helicopter rotors were visualized using a wide-field shadowgraph technique. Use of a retro-reflective Scotchlite screen made it possible to investigate the flow field generated by full-scale tail rotors. Tip vortex trajectories were visible in shadowgraphs for a range for tip Mach number of 0.38 - 0.60. The effect of the angle of attack was substantial. At an angle of attack greater than 8 degrees, the visibility of the vortex core was significant even at relatively low tip Mach numbers. The theoretical analysis of the visibility was carried out for a rotating blade. This analysis demonstrated that the visibility decreases with increasing dimensionless core radius (ro/c) and increases with increasing tip Mach number. Based on this investigation, it is concluded that the wide-field shadowgraph flow visualization technique should be feasible to study the flow field generated by a large main rotor in a wind tunnel and in an outdoor full-scale test stand. Of note is that the shadowgraph technique could easily be used with other on-going tests such as aerodynamic performance study, noise measurements, velocity measurements with LDV or hot-wire anemometer, local pressure measurement on the rotor surface, etc.

Parthasarathy, S. P.↗

Dispersion characteristics for wide slotlines on low-permittivity substrates

A spectral-domain Galerkin method is used to calculate the dispersion characteristics of wide slotlines on low-permittivity substrates that are electrically thin. The range of parameters covered are d/lambda sub 0 = 0.006-0.06, W/lambda sub 0 = 0.005-2.0, and epsilon sub r = 2.22, 3.0, 3.8, and 9.8. The choice of expansion and testing functions makes possible the extraction of the asymptotic form of the infinite integrals, resulting in a computationally efficient solution. The agreement between calculated and measured slot wavelengths on narrow and wide slots is generally within 2.0 percent over 2-6 GHz.

Janaswamy, R.↗

Fundamental study of flow field generated by rotorcraft blades using wide-field shadowgraph

The vortex trajectory and vortex wake generated by helicopter rotors are visualized using a wide-field shadowgraph technique. Use of a retro-reflective Scotchlite screen makes it possible to investigate the flow field generated by full-scale rotors. Tip vortex trajectories are visible in shadowgraphs for a range of tip Mach number of 0.38 to 0.60. The effect of the angle of attack is substantial. At an angle of attack greater than 8 degrees, the visibility of the vortex core is significant even at relatively low tip Mach numbers. The theoretical analysis of the sensitivity is carried out for a rotating blade. This analysis demonstrates that the sensitivity decreases with increasing dimensionless core radius and increases with increasing tip Mach number. The threshold value of the sensitivity is found to be 0.0015, below which the vortex core is not visible and above which it is visible. The effect of the optical path length is also discussed. Based on this investigation, it is concluded that the application of this wide-field shadowgraph technique to a large wind tunnel test should be feasible. In addition, two simultaneous shadowgraph views would allow three-dimensional reconstruction of vortex trajectories.

Parthasarathy, S. P.↗

World-wide increase in tropospheric methane, 1978-1983

Techniques used to assess methane concentration in the troposphere are described, and data obtained during the period from 1978 to 1983 are presented in detail. Tropospheric methane concentrations in remote locations averaged a yearly world-wide increase of 0.018 + or - 0.002 parts per million by volume (ppmv). Average world-wide tropospheric concentration of methane in dry air was 1.625 ppmv at the end of 1983 measured against an NBS standard certified as 0.97 ppmv. Contributing to this steady increase in methane concentration are increases in the source strengths from cattle and rice fields, which in turn result from CO, CH4 and HO coupling. Among the physical and chemical effects is an increase in greenhouse warming of about 0.04 C per decade.

Blake, D. R.↗

Space infrared telescope facility wide field and diffraction limited array camera (IRAC)

The wide-field and diffraction limited array camera (IRAC) is capable of two-dimensional photometry in either a wide-field or diffraction-limited mode over the wavelength range from 2 to 30 microns with a possible extension to 120 microns. A low-doped indium antimonide detector was developed for 1.8 to 5.0 microns, detectors were tested and optimized for the entire 1.8 to 30 micron range, beamsplitters were developed and tested for the 1.8 to 30 micron range, and tradeoff studies of the camera's optical system performed. Data are presented on the performance of InSb, Si:In, Si:Ga, and Si:Sb array detectors bumpbonded to a multiplexed CMOS readout chip of the source-follower type at SIRTF operating backgrounds (equal to or less than 1 x 10 to the 8th ph/sq cm/sec) and temperature (4 to 12 K). Some results at higher temperatures are also presented for comparison to SIRTF temperature results. Data are also presented on the performance of IRAC beamsplitters at room temperature at both 0 and 45 deg angle of incidence and on the performance of the all-reflecting optical system baselined for the camera.

Fazio, Giovanni G.↗

Specification for wide channel bandwidth one-inch video tape

Standards and controls are established for the procurement of wide channel bandwidth one inch video magnetic recording tapes for Very Long Base Interferometer (VLBI) system applications. The Magnetic Tape Certification Facility (MTCF) currently maintains three specifications for the Quality Products List (QPL) and acceptance testing of magnetic tapes. NASA-TM-79724 is used for the QPL and acceptance testing of new analog tapes; NASA-TM-80599 is used for QPL and acceptance testing of new digital tapes; and NASA-TM-100702 is used for the QPL and acceptance testing of new IBM/IBM compatible 3480 magnetic tape cartridges. This specification will be used for the QPL and acceptance testing of new wide channel bandwidth one inch video magnetic recording tapes. The one inch video tapes used by the Jet Propulsion Lab., the Deep Space Network and the Haystack Observatory will be covered by this specification. These NASA stations will use the video tapes for their VLBI system applications. The VLBI system is used for the tracking of quasars and the support of interplanetary exploration.

Perry, Jimmy L.↗