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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 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1978

Monitoring gypsy moth defoliation by applying change detection techniques to Landsat imagery

The overall objective of a research effort at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is to develop and evaluate digital image processing techniques that will facilitate the assessment of the intensity and spatial distribution of forest insect damage in Northeastern U.S. forests using remotely sensed data from Landsats 1, 2 and C. Automated change detection techniques are presently being investigated as a method of isolating the areas of change in the forest canopy resulting from pest outbreaks. In order to follow the change detection approach, Landsat scene correction and overlay capabilities are utilized to provide multispectral/multitemporal image files of 'defoliation' and 'nondefoliation' forest stand conditions.

Williams, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1980

The carbon isotope biogeochemistry of the individual hydrocarbons in bat guano and the ecology of insectivorous bats in the region of Carlsbad, New Mexico

The structures and C-13 contents of individual alkanes extracted from bat guano found in the Carlsbad region of New Mexico can be related to both the photosynthetic pathways of the local plants and the feeding habits of the insects that support the bats. Carbon isotopic analyses of the 62 most important plant species in the Pecos River Valley, the most significant feeding area for the Carlsbad bats, reveal the presence of 29 species with C3 photosynthesis and 33 species, mostly grasses, with C4 photosynthesis. Although the abundances of nonagricultural C3 and C4 plants are similar, alfalfa and cotton, both C3 plants, constitute over 95 per cent of the crop biomass. The molecular composition of the bat guano hydrocarbons is fully consistent with an insect origin. Two isotopically distinct groups of insect branched alkanes were discerned. These two groups of alkanes derived from two chemotaxonomically distinct populations of insects possessing distinctly different feeding habits. It is likely that one population grazes predominantly on crops whereas the other population prefers native vegetation. This and other isotopic evidence supports the notion that crop pests constitute a major percentage of the bats' diet.

Desmarais, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

General description and operation of the agro-environmental system: Crop management modeling

Input for a data management system to provide farmers with information to improve crop management practices in Virginia requires monitoring of control crops at field stations, crop surveys derived from remotely sensed aircraft data, meteorological data from synchronous satellites, and details of local agricultural conditions. Presently models are under development for determining pest problems, water balance in the soil, stages of plant maturity, and optimum planting date. The status of the Cerospora leafspot model for peanut crop management is considered. Other models under development planned relate to Cylindtocladium Blackrot and Sclerotinia blight of peanuts, cyst nematode (Globerdena solanacearum) of tobacco, and red crown rot of soybeans. A software for program for estimating precipitation and solar radiation on a statewise basis is also being developed.

Gross, E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Selection of the Australian indicator region

Each Australian state was examined for the availability of LANDSAT data, area, yield, and production characteristics, statistics, crop calendars, and other ancillary data. Agrophysical conditions that could influence labeling and classification accuracies were identified in connection with the highest producing states as determined from available Australian crop statistics. Based primarily on these production statistics, Western Australia and New South Wales were selected as the wheat indicator region for Australia. The general characteristics of wheat in the indicator region, with potential problems anticipated for proportion estimation are considered. The varieties of wheat, the diseases and pests common to New South Wales, and the wheat growing regions of both states are examined.

Reed, C. R.↗
NASA NTRS1985

NTF: Soldering Technology Development for Cryogenics

The advent of the National Transonic Facility (NTF) brought about a new application for an old joining method, soldering. Soldering for use at cryogenic temperatures requires that solders remain ductile and free from tin-pest (grey tin), have toughness to withstand aerodynamic loads associated with flight research, and maintain their surface finishes. Solders are used to attach 347 Stainless-Steel tubing in surface grooves of models. The solder must fill up the gap and metallurgically bound to the tubing and model. Cryogenic temperatures require that only specific materials for models can be used, including: Vasco Max 200 CVM, lescalloy A-286 Vac Arc, pH 13-8 Mo. Solders identified for testing at this time are: 50% Sn - 49.5% Pb - 0.5% Sb, 95% Sn - 5% Sb, 50% In 50% Pb, and 37.5% Sn - 37.5% Pb - 25% In. With these materials and solders, it is necessary to determine their solderability. After solderability is determined, tube/groove specimens are fabricated and stressed under cryogenic temperatures. Compatible solders are then used for acutual models.

Hall, E. T., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Seasonal nitrous oxide flux from an intensively managed pasture in a humid subtropical ecosystem

Nitrous oxide (N2O) flux from vented chambers was measured over intensively and minimally managed bermuda grass hay meadows in a humid, subtropical ecosystem for several years during scheduled sampling protocol following harvest, fertilization and rainfall events while measuring diel N2O emissions once during each of 5 seasonal day growth cycles which divided each calendar year. Soil pools of nitrite NO2(-), nitrate NO3(-), and ammonia (NH3) were measured in soil samples taken at 2 and 10 cm depths during each emission collection to determine transformations of the nitrogen pools coupled with N2O emissions. The highest diel N2O emission occur midday in the Spring cycle, measuring 9.0 g N/ha/d only for several weeks, while emissions dropped to less than 1.0 g N/ha/day during hot, dry, and colder months. Intensively managed meadows (4 fertilizations and harvests per year plus pest management) induced higher seasonal N2O emissions than minimal treatment (1 fertilization and harvest) averaging 2.75 and 5.97 g N/ha/day. Nitrous oxide emission data as responses to soil parameters and environmental parameters were also measured where air temperature, soil moisture, and fertilization were the most powerful factors.

Brams, Eugene A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Mapping Wildfires In Nearly Real Time

Airborne infrared-sensing system flies over wildfire as infrared detector in system and navigation subsystem generate data transmitted to firefighters' camp. There, data plotted in form of map of fire, including approximate variations of temperature. System, called Firefly, reveals position of fires and approximate thermal intensities of regions within fires. Firefighters use information to manage and suppress fires. Used for other purposes with minor modifications, such as to spot losses of heat in urban areas and to map disease and pest infestation in vegetation.

Nichols, Joseph D.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Determination of the stability and control derivatives of the NASA F/A-18 HARV using flight data

This report documents the research conducted for the NASA-Ames Cooperative Agreement No. NCC 2-759 with West Virginia University. A complete set of the stability and control derivatives for varying angles of attack from 10 deg to 60 deg were estimated from flight data of the NASA F/A-18 HARV. The data were analyzed with the use of the pEst software which implements the output-error method of parameter estimation. Discussions of the aircraft equations of motion, parameter estimation process, design of flight test maneuvers, and formulation of the mathematical model are presented. The added effects of the thrust vectoring and single surface excitation systems are also addressed. The results of the longitudinal and lateral directional derivative estimates at varying angles of attack are presented and compared to results from previous analyses. The results indicate a significant improvement due to the independent control surface deflections induced by the single surface excitation system, and at the same time, a need for additional flight data especially at higher angles of attack.

Napolitano, Marcello R.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Estimation of the longitudinal and lateral-directional aerodynamic parameters from flight data for the NASA F/A-18 HARV

This progress report presents the results of an investigation focused on parameter identification for the NASA F/A-18 HARV. This aircraft was used in the high alpha research program at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. In this study the longitudinal and lateral-directional stability derivatives are estimated from flight data using the Maximum Likelihood method coupled with a Newton-Raphson minimization technique. The objective is to estimate an aerodynamic model describing the aircraft dynamics over a range of angle of attack from 5 deg to 60 deg. The mathematical model is built using the traditional static and dynamic derivative buildup. Flight data used in this analysis were from a variety of maneuvers. The longitudinal maneuvers included large amplitude multiple doublets, optimal inputs, frequency sweeps, and pilot pitch stick inputs. The lateral-directional maneuvers consisted of large amplitude multiple doublets, optimal inputs and pilot stick and rudder inputs. The parameter estimation code pEst, developed at NASA Dryden, was used in this investigation. Results of the estimation process from alpha = 5 deg to alpha = 60 deg are presented and discussed.

Napolitano, Marcello R.↗
NASA NTRS1997

MoSi2-Base Composite for Engine Applications

The intermetallic compound MoSi2 has long been known as a high temperature material that has excellent oxidation resistance and electrical/thermal conductivity. Also its low cost, high melting point (2023 C), relatively low density (6.2 g/cm versus 8 g/cm for current engine materials), and ease of machining make it an attractive structural material. However, the use of MoSi2 has been hindered because of the brittle nature of the material at low temperatures, inadequate creep resistance at high temperatures, accelerated oxidation (also known as 'pest' oxidation) at temperatures between approximately 400 and 500 C, and a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is relatively high in comparison to potential reinforcing fibers such as SiC. This CTE mismatch between the fiber and the matrix resulted in severe matrix cracking during thermal cycling.

Hebsur, Mohan G.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Remote Sensing of Global Fire Patterns, Aerosol Optical Thickness, and Carbon Monoxide During April 1994

Fires play a crucial role in several ecosystems. They are routinely used to burn forests in order to accommodate the needs of the expanding population, clear land for agricultural purposes, eliminate weeds and pests, regenerate nutrients in grazing and crop lands and produce energy for cooking and heating purposes. Most of the fires on earth are related to biomass burning in the tropics, although they are not confined to these latitudes. The boreal and tundra regions also experience fires on a yearly basis. The current study examines global fire patterns, Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) and carbon monoxide concentrations during April 9-19, 1994. Recently, global Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data at nadir ground spatial resolution of 1 km are made available through the NASA/NOAA Pathfinder project. These data from April 9-19, 1994 are used to map fires over the earth. In summary, our analysis shows that fires from biomass burning appear to be the dominant factor for increased tropospheric CO concentrations as measured by the MAPS. The vertical transport of CO by convective activities, along with horizontal transport due to the prevailing winds, are responsible for the observed spatial distribution of CO.

Christopher, Sundar A.↗
NASA NTRS1997

An Insidious Mode of Oxidative Degradation in a SiC-SiC Composite

The oxidative durability of a SiC-SiC composite with Hi-Nicalon fiber and BN interphase was investigated at 800 C (where pesting is known to occur in SiC-SiC composites) for exposure durations of up to 500 hours and in a variety of oxidant mixes and flow rates, ranging from quasi-stagnant room air, through slow flowing O2 containing 30-90% H2O, to the high-velocity flame of a burner rig. Degradation of the composite was determined from residual strength and fracture strain in post-exposure mechanical tests and correlated with microstructural evidence of damage to fiber and interphase. The severest degradation of composite behavior was found to occur in the bumer rig, and is shown to be connected with the high oxidant velocity and substantial moisture content, as well as a thin sublayer of carbon indicated to form between fiber and interphase during composite processing.

Ogbuji, Linus U. J. T.↗
NASA NTRS1998

MoSi2-Base Hybrid Composite Passed Engine Test

The intermetallics compound molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2) is an attractive high-temperature structural material for advanced engine applications. It has excellent oxidation resistance, a high melting point, relatively low density, and high thermal conductivity, and it is easily machined. Past research'at the NASA Lewis Research Center has resulted in the development of a hybrid composite consisting of a MoSi2 matrix reinforced with silicon nitride (Si3N4) Particulate and silicon carbide (SiC) fibers. This composite has demonstrated attractive strength, toughness, thermal fatigue, and oxidation resistance, including resistance to "pest" oxidation. These properties attracted the interest of the Office of Naval Research and Pratt & Whitney, and a joint NASA/Navy/Pratt & Whitney effort was developed to continue to mature the MoSi2 Composite technology. A turbine blade outer air seal, which was part of the Integrated High Performance Turbine Engine Technology (IHPTET) program, was chosen as a first component on which to focus. The first tasks of the materials development effort were to develop improved processing methods to reduce costs and to use fine-diameter fibers that enable the manufacturing of complex shapes. Tape-casting methods were developed to fully infiltrate the fine SiC fibers with matrix powders. The resulting composites were hot pressed to 100-percent density. Composites with cross-plied fiber architectures with 30 vol. % hi-nicalon SiC fibers and 30 vol. % nitride particles are now made routinely and demonstrate a good balance of properties. The next task entailed the measurement of a wide variety of mechanical properties to confirm the suitability of this composite in engines. In particular, participants in this effort demonstrated that composites made with Hi-Nicalon fibers had strength and toughness properties equal to or better than those of the composites made with the large-diameter fibers that had been used previously. Another critically important property measured was impact resistance. Aircraft engine components require sufficient toughness to resist manufacturing defects, assembly damage, stress concentrations at notches, and foreign object damage. Engine company designers indicated that impact resistance would have to be measured before they would seriously consider these types of composites. The Charpy V-notch test was chosen to assess impact resistance, and both monolithic and composite versions Of MOSi2 were tested from -300 to 1400 C. The results (see the following graphs) show that nitride-particulate-reinforced MoSi2 exhibited impact resistance higher than that of many monolithic ceramics and intermetallics, and that the fiber-reinforced composites had even higher values, approaching that of cast superalloys.

Keith, Theo G., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Hyperspectral Imagery Data for Remote Sensing

In order for remotely sensed data to be useful in a practical application for agriculture, an information product must be made available to the land management decision maker within 24 to 48 hours of data acquisition. Hyperspectral imagery data is proving useful in differentiation of plant species potentially allowing identification of non-healthy areas and pest infestations within crop fields that may require the farm managers attention. Currently however, extracting the needed site-specific feature information from the vast spectral content of large hyperspectral image files is a labor intensive and time consuming task prohibiting the necessary fast turnaround from raw data to final product. We illustrate the methods, techniques and technologies necessary to produce field-level information products from imagery and other related spatial data that are useful to the farm manager for specific decisions that must be made throughout the growing season. We also propose to demonstrate the cost effectiveness of an integrated system, from acquisition to final product distribution, to utilize imagery for decisions on a working farm in conjunction with a commercial agricultural services company and their crop scouts. The demonstration farm is Chesapeake Farms, a 3000 acre research farm in Chestertown, Maryland on the Eastern Shore and is owned by the DuPont Corporation.

Garegnani, Jerry↗
NASA NTRS2000

Realistic Development and Testing of Fission System at a Non-Nuclear Testing Facility

The use of resistance heaters to simulate heat from fission allows extensive development of fission systems to be performed in non-nuclear test facilities, saving time and money. Resistance heated tests on a module has been performed at the Marshall Space Flight Center in the Propellant Energy Source Testbed (PEST). This paper discusses the experimental facilities and equipment used for performing resistance heated tests. Recommendations are made for improving non-nuclear test facilities and equipment for simulated testing of nuclear systems.

Godfroy, Tom↗
NASA NTRS2000

MoSi2-Base Hybrid Composites from Aeroengine Applications

Addition of about 30 to 50 vol % of Si3N4 particulate to MoSi2 improved low temperature accelerated oxidation resistance by forming a Si2ON2 protective scale and thereby eliminated catastrophic 'pest failure'. The Si3N4 addition also improved the high temperature creep strength by nearly five orders of magnitude, doubled the room temperature toughness, and significantly lowered the CTE of the MoSi2 which eliminated matrix cracking in SCS-6 reinforced composites even after thermal cycling. The SCS-6 fiber reinforcement improved the room temperature fracture toughness by seven times and impact resistance by five times. The composite exhibited this excellent strength and toughness improvement up to 1673 K. More recently, tape casting was adopted as the preferred processing of MoSi2-base composites due to improved fiber spacing, ability to use small diameter fibers, and for lower cost. Good strength and toughness values were also obtained with fine diameter Hi-Nicalon tow fibers. These hybrid composites remain competitive with ceramic matrix composites as a replacement for Ni-base superalloys in aircraft engine applications.

Hebsur, Mohan G.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Silicon-Based Ceramic-Matrix Composites for Advanced Turbine Engines: Some Degradation Issues

SiC/BN/SiC composites are designed to take advantage of the high specific strengths and moduli of non-oxide ceramics, and their excellent resistance to creep, chemical attack, and oxidation, while circumventing the brittleness inherent in ceramics. Hence, these composites have the potential to take turbine engines of the future to higher operating temperatures than is achievable with metal alloys. However, these composites remain developmental and more work needs to be done to optimize processing techniques. This paper highlights the lingering issue of pest degradation in these materials and shows that it results from vestiges of processing steps and can thus be minimized or eliminated.

Thomas-Ogbuji, Linus U. J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Simulating Local and Intercontinental Pollutant Effects of Biomass Burning: Integration of Several Remotely Sensed Datasets

Burning to clear land for crops and to destroy pests is an integral and largely unavoidable part of tropical agriculture. It is easy to note but difficult to quantify using remote sensing. This report describes our efforts to integrate remotely sensed data into our computer model of tropical chemical trace-gas emissions, weather, and reaction chemistry (using the MM5 mesoscale model and our own Global-Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Simulator). The effects of burning over the continents of Africa and South America have been noticed in observations from several satellites. Smoke plumes hundreds of kilometers long may be seen individually, or may merge into a large smoke pall over thousands of kilometers of these continents. These features are related to intense pollution in the much more confined regions with heavy burning. These emissions also translocate nitrogen thousands of kilometers in the tropical ecosystems, with large fixed-nitrogen losses balanced partially by locally intense fertilization downwind, where nitric acid is rained out. At a much larger scale, various satellite measurements have indicated the escape of carbon monoxide and ozone into large filaments which extend across the Tropical and Southern Atlantic Ocean. Our work relates the source emissions, estimated in part from remote sensing, in part from conventional surface reports, to the concentrations of these gases over these intercontinental regions. We will mention work in progress to use meteorological satellite data (AVHRR, GOES, and Meteosat) to estimate the surface temperature and extent and height of clouds, and explain why these uses are so important in our computer simulations of global biogeochemistry. We will compare our simulations and interpretation of remote observations to the international cooperation involving Brazil, South Africa, and the USA in the TRACE-A (Transport and Atmospheric Chemistry near the Equator - Atlantic) and SAFARI (Southern Africa Fire Atmosphere Research Initiative) and remote-sensing /aircraft/ecosystem observational campaigns.

Chatfield, Robert B.↗