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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 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1976

The effect of surface roughness on the average film thickness between lubricated rollers

The Christensen theory of stochastic models for hydrodynamic lubrication of rough surfaces is extended to elastohydrodynamic lubrication between two rollers. The Grubin-type equation including asperity effects in the inlet region is derived. Solutions for the reduced pressure at the entrance as a function of the ratio of the average nominal film thickness to the rms surface roughness (in terms of standard deviation), have been obtained numerically. Results were obtained for purely transverse and purely longitudinal surface roughness for cases with or without slip. The reduced pressure is shown to decrease slightly by considering longitudinal surface roughness. Transverse surface roughness has a slight beneficial effect on the average film thickness at the inlet. The same approach was used to study the effect of surface roughness on lubrication between rigid rollers and lubrication of an infinitely-wide slider bearing. The effects of surface roughness are shown to be similar to those found in elastohydrodynamic contacts.

Chow, L. S. H.↗
NASA NTRS1976

A global average model of atmospheric aerosols for radiative transfer calculations

A global average model is proposed for the size distribution, chemical composition, and optical thickness of stratospheric and tropospheric aerosols. This aerosol model is designed to specify the input parameters to global average radiative transfer calculations which assume the atmosphere is horizontally homogeneous. The model subdivides the atmosphere at multiples of 3 km, where the surface layer extends from the ground to 3 km, the upper troposphere from 3 to 12 km, and the stratosphere from 12 to 45 km. A list of assumptions made in construction of the model is presented and discussed along with major model uncertainties. The stratospheric aerosol is modeled as a liquid mixture of 75% H2SO4 and 25% H2O, while the tropospheric aerosol consists of 60% sulfate and 40% soil particles above 3 km and of 50% sulfate, 35% soil particles, and 15% sea salt below 3 km. Implications and consistency of the model are discussed.

Toon, O. B.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Exponential approximation for daily average solar heating or photolysis

When incorporating formulations of instantaneous solar heating or photolytic rates as functions of altitude and sun angle into long range forecasting models, it may be desirable to replace the time integrals by daily average rates that are simple functions of latitude and season. This replacement is accomplished by approximating the integral over the solar day by a pure exponential. This gives a daily average rate as a multiplication factor times the instantaneous rate evaluated at an appropriate sun angle. The accuracy of the exponential approximation is investigated by a sample calculation using an instantaneous ozone heating formulation available in the literature.

Cogley, A. C.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Effects of stream-associated fluctuations upon the radial variation of average solar-wind parameters

The effects of nonlinear fluctuations due to solar wind streams upon radial gradients of average solar wind parameters are computed, using a numerical MHD model for both spherically symmetric time dependent and corotating equatorial flow approximations. Significant effects of correlations are found between fluctuations upon the gradients of azimuthal magnetic fields, radial velocity, density and azimuthal velocity. Between 400 to 900 solar radii stream interactions have transferred the major portion of the angular momentum flux to the magnetic field; at even greater distances the plasma again carries the bulk of the angular momentum flux. The average azimuthal component of the magnetic field may decrease as much as 10% faster than the Archimedean spiral out to 6 AU due to stream interactions, but this result is dependent upon inner boundary conditions.

Goldstein, B. E.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Comparison of effects of unsteady lift and spanwise averaging in flight through turbulence

Gust loads on aircraft flying through random atmospheric turbulence are attenuated at high frequencies by the effects of unsteady lift and spanwise averaging. Previously derived theoretical results for these two effects are placed in a form which makes direct comparison possible. The attenuation effects from each cause are found to be of approximately equal magnitude for unswept wings of moderate aspect ratio. For small values of the ratio of wingspan to scale of turbulence, the attenuation due to spanwise averaging is a function only of reduced frequency based on wingspan and is independent of the ratio of wingspan to scale of turbulence.

Phillips, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Determination of diurnal average photodissociation rates

The calculation of diurnal average photolysis rates in models of planetary atmospheres can be done efficiently and easily by utilizing the results of empirical numerical fitting procedures. Analytic expressions are given for the ratio of the diurnal average differential photolysis rate to that at noon, as a function of optical depth, latitude and solar declination. The accuracy is better than + or - 6% for all altitudes, all seasons of the year and latitudes up to 60 deg.

Rundel, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Lowest-order average effect of turbulence on atmospheric profiles derived from radio occultation

Turbulence in planetary atmospheres and ionospheres causes changes in angles of refraction of radio waves used in occultation experiments. Atmospheric temperature and pressure profiles, and ionospheric electron concentration profiles, derived from radio occultation measurements of Doppler frequency contain errors due to such angular offsets. The lowest-order average errors are derived from a geometrical-optics treatment of the radio-wave phase advance caused by the addition of uniform turbulence to an initially homogeneous medium. It is concluded that the average profile errors are small and that precise Doppler frequency measurements at two or more wavelengths could be used to help determine characteristics of the turbulence, as well as accuracy limits and possible correction terms for the profiles. However, a more detailed study of both frequency and intensity characteristics in radio and optical occultation measurements of turbulent planetary atmospheres and ionospheres is required to realize the full potential of such measurements.

Eshleman, V. R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Real-time instrument averages 100 data sets

Instrument generates average curve of 100 consecutive cycles of any function that occurs as time varying electrical signal. Device has been used to average parameters on 1975 Chevrolet V-8 engine, and on Continental six cylinder aircraft engine.

Birchenough, A. G.↗
NASA NTRS1978

On the average configuration of the geomagnetic tail

Over 3000 hours of IMP-6 magnetic field data obtained between 20 and 33 R sub E in the geomagnetic tail have been used in a statistical study of the tail configuration. A distribution of 2.5 minute averages of B sub Z as a function of position across the tail reveals that more flux crosses the equatorial plane near the dawn and dusk flanks than near midnight. The tail field projected in the solar magnetospheric equatorial plane deviates from the X axis due to flaring and solar wind aberration by an angle alpha = -0.9 y sub SM - 1.7 where Y sub SM is in earth radii and alpha is in degrees. After removing these effects the Y component of the tail field is found to depend on interplanetary sector structure. During an away sector the B sub Y component of the tail field is on average 0.5 gamma greater than that during a toward sector, a result that is true in both tail lobes and is independent of location across the tail.

Fairfield, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Equations of motion and two-equation turbulence model for plane or axisymmetric turbulent flows in body-oriented orthogonal curvilinear coordinates and mass-averaged dependent variables

The full Navier-Stokes time-dependent, compressible, turbulent, mean-flow equations in mass-averaged variables for plane or axisymmetric flow are presented. The equations are derived in a body-oriented, orthogonal, curvilinear coordinate system. Turbulence is modelled by a system of two equations for mass-averaged turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation rate proposed. These equations are rederived and some new features are discussed. A system of second order boundary layer equations is then derived which includes the effects of longitudinal curvature and the normal pressure gradient. The Wilcox and Chambers approach is used in considering effects of streamline curvature on turbulence phenomena in turbulent boundary layer type flows. Their two-equation turbulence model with curvature terms are rederived for the cases considered in the present report. The derived system equations serves as a basis for an investigation of problems where streamline curvature is of the order of the characteristic length in the longitudinal direction.

Sislian, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Instantaneous and time-averaged dispersion and measurement models for estimation theory applications with elevated point source plumes

Estimation theory, which originated in guidance and control research, is applied to the analysis of air quality measurements and atmospheric dispersion models to provide reliable area-wide air quality estimates. A method for low dimensional modeling (in terms of the estimation state vector) of the instantaneous and time-average pollutant distributions is discussed. In particular, the fluctuating plume model of Gifford (1959) is extended to provide an expression for the instantaneous concentration due to an elevated point source. Individual models are also developed for all parameters in the instantaneous and the time-average plume equations, including the stochastic properties of the instantaneous fluctuating plume.

Diamante, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Finite element solution for beams using an element averaging technique

The article investigates the error in the computation of natural frequency through finite element models of the structures when elements of unequal length are chosen and then goes on to suggest an averaging technique for unequal length elements, with different structural properties. Using the element averaging technique, a typical structure has been analysed for its natural frequencies and the results are described.

Bhat, B. R.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Partially averaged field approach to cosmic ray diffusion

A new nonlinear technique is used to derive the kinetic equation for particles interacting with turbulent fluctuations. Difficulties associated with quasi-linear theory are avoided. The new method evaluates the effects of the fluctuations along particle orbits which themselves include the effects of a statistically averaged subset of the possible configuration of the turbulence. As an illustration, the pitch-angle diffusion coefficient is calculated for particles interacting with 'slab model' magnetic turbulence, i.e., magnetic fluctuations linearly polarized transverse to a mean magnetic field. The pitch-angle diffusion coefficient is determined in the vicinity of 90-deg pitch angles where quasi-linear theory breaks down. The spatial diffusion coefficient parallel to a mean magnetic field is evaluated by use of the calculated pitch-angle diffusion coefficient. It is suggested that the partially averaged field method is not limited to small amplitude fluctuating fields and hence is not a perturbation theory.

Jones, F. C.↗
NASA NTRS1978

The zonally averaged circulation of the middle atmosphere

The steady-state, zonally averaged circulation of the middle atmosphere (15-125 km) is studied with a quasigeostrophic, numerical model that explicitly includes a self-consistent calculation of solar radiative heating due to O2 and O3 absorption, Newtonian cooling, Rayleigh friction, tropopause boundary conditions based on climatological averages, and the effects of vertically propagating planetary waves. It is found that the direct, radiatively driven pole-to-pole circulation at solstice is sufficient to account for the cold summer mesopause and warm isothermal winter mesosphere with associated zonal jets of realistic magnitude. The climatological heat and momentum fluxes associated with planetary wavenumber 2 have a negligible effect on the mean circulation. With planetary wavenumber 1, no steady-state solution could be obtained due to the formation of easterlies and hence critical layers in the winter mesosphere. The radiative heating associated with secondary peaks in the O3 density at the mesopause could render the polar mesopause region convectively unstable.

Schoeberl, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1978

The response of the zonally averaged circulation to stratospheric ozone reductions

The effects of various ozone density reductions of the zonally averaged circulation are evaluated with a numerical quasi-geostrophic model. If the ozone perturbations are confined to the polar regions and are minuscule on a global basis as was characteristic of the August 1972 solar proton event, then the calculations indicate a negligible effect on the mean circulation. For global ozone perturbations by predicted halocarbon pollution, about 10% reduction in the zonal jet strength and less than a 5% change in global mean stratospheric temperature are calculated. Large, uniform ozone reductions (above 50%) produce significant effects on the mean circulation: a substantial collapse of the stratosphere due to cooler temperatures, and a weak polar night jet. The reflection and transmission of quasi-stationary planetary waves in the middle atmosphere are computed to be insensitive to solar activity as extreme as the August 1972 solar proton event. It thus seems improbable that planetary waves are a viable mechanism for solar-weather interactions that involve perturbations of the zonally averaged circulation by ozone density reductions.

Schoeberl, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Transformation of surface albedo to surface: Atmosphere surface and irradiance, and their spectral and temporal averages

The dependence of the albedo at the top of a realistic atmosphere upon the surface albedo, solar zenith angle, and cloud optical thickness is examined for the cases of clear sky, total cloud cover, and fractional cloud cover. The radiative transfer calculations of Dave and Braslau (1975) for particular values of surface albedo and solar zenith angle, and a single value of cloud optical thickness are used as the basis of a parametric albedo model. The question of spectral and temporal averages of albedos and reflected irradiances is addressed, and unique weighting functions for the spectral and temporal albedo averages are developed.

Nack, M. L.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Average plasma environment at geosynchronous orbit

The average plasma environment at geosynchronous orbit (GSO) is derived from a whole year's worth of plasma data obtained by the UCSD electrostatic electrometer on board ATS 5. The result is primarily intended for use as a general reference for engineers designing a large spacecraft to be flown at GSO. A simple mathematical formula using a 3rd order polynomial is found to be adequate for representing the yearly averaged particle energy spectrum from 70 to 41,000 eV under different geomagnetic conditions. Furthermore, correlation analyses with the geomagnetic planetary index Kp and with the auroral electrojet index AE were carried out in the hope that the ground observations of the geomagnetic field variations can be used to predict the plasma variations in space. Unfortunately, the results indicate that such forecasting is not feasible by use of these two popular geomagnetic parameters alone.

Su, S. Y.↗
NASA NTRS1978

High correlations between variations in monthly averages of solar activity and total atmospheric ozone

Estimates of the ozone total columnar content, derived from Nimbus IV IRIS data, have been analyzed to estimate monthly averages of the total global atmospheric ozone. Over a 9-month interval, the variation in this monthly average is approximately an order of magnitude greater than its associated uncertainty, and has characteristics in common with variations in the 10.7 cm solar flux, the Zurich sunspot number, and the total solar Lyman alpha flux. The highest correlation, 0.94, exists between the variation in the total Lyman alpha flux and the variation in the estimated total atmospheric ozone.

Blackshear, W. T.↗