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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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Seams tracked for automatic control of welding. Optoelectronic system based on relatively simple array of optical proximity sensors locates edge of plate. Used to control automatic production machinery. System follows curved seams as well as straight ones, and neither special control programming nor precise initial positioning workpiece necessary for accurate tracking of seam.
Current Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) high pressure fuel turbopump problems have generated a desire to analyze the flow field of rotating machinery. The status of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has reached the point that soon the capability to solve unsteady three-dimensional viscous flow fields will be at hand. The work presented involves upgrading the computational efficiency of an operational three-dimensional algorithm. The modifications include algorithm development, algorithm approximation and acceleration, and special coding optimizations. The overall result of these modifications has reduced processing time by nearly 80%.
Computer code written to analyze flows on blade-to-blade surfaces of turbomachinery. Analyzes rows containing blades of several different shapes and/or spacings. Capability makes code useful for calculating flows in centrifugal machinery with splitter blades or in mistuned blade rows, where blade spacing varies. Written primarily in FORTRAN IV.
Temperature measured in rotating machinery without speed-limiting mechanical sliprings. Gap widens as temperature rises and narrows as temperature falls. Light reflected from piston face and recaptured by fiber bundle varies accordingly.
Digital electronic filtering system produces series of moving-average samples of fluctuating signal in manner resulting in removal of undesired periodic signal component of known frequency. Filter designed to pass steady or slowly varying components of fluctuating pressure, flow, pump speed, and pump torque in slurry-pumping system. Concept useful for monitoring or control in variety of applications including machinery, power supplies, and scientific instrumentation.
PLOPS system designed to provide high-resolution measurement of change in optical length from optical-system source to any optical reflector, including diffuse reflector. Serves as adjustable optical ruler, providing high resolution in measurements of small and large changes in distance to target. Use is broad and includes most measurement situations requiring information on length, vibration, and their derivatives. Applications include building dynamics, remote sensing of vibrations in such systems as turbine-based machinery, monitoring of structural dynamics, noncontacting sensing of surface contours, measurement of large strains as in earthquake monitoring, measurement of atmospheric dynamics and turbulence, high-resolution sensing of humidity, detection of surface acoustic waves by optical microscopy, and related areas.
Report discusses application of cepstral analysis to diagnosis of wear in ball-bearing cages in rotating machinery. Ball-cage vibrations and changes in vibrations symptomatic of wear is detected earlier in test than by more conventional methods based on strain-gauge measurements. Particularly useful in diagnoses of gearboxes and rolling-element bearing.
Rebuilt units last almost as long as new ones. Report describes theoretical and experiemental studies of lifetimes of restored ball and cylindrical-roller bearings. Results of this and related studies have implications of economy and safety in modern high-speed machinery, especially in aircraft industry, where inspection and rejection or replacing of bearings are new standard practice.
Strain-gauge signals at harmonics of ball-bearing-cage frequencies signify wear. Brief report describes experiments in continuing effort to interpret vibrations of machinery in terms of wear in ball bearing.
A feasibility study to investigate the application of vibration monitoring to the rotating machinery of planned NASA advanced spacecraft components is described. Factors investigated include: (1) special problems associated with small, high RPM machines; (2) application across multiple component types; (3) microgravity; (4) multiple fault types; (5) eight different analysis techniques including signature analysis, high frequency demodulation, cepstrum, clustering, amplitude analysis, and pattern recognition are compared; and (6) small sample statistical analysis is used to compare performance by computation of probability of detection and false alarm for an ensemble of repeated baseline and faulted tests. Both detection and classification performance are quantified. Vibration monitoring is shown to be an effective means of detecting the most important problem types for small, high RPM fans and pumps typical of those planned for the advanced spacecraft. A preliminary monitoring system design and implementation plan is presented.
The Jeffcott equations are a system of coupled differential equations representing the behavior of a rotating shaft. This is a simple model which allows investigation of the basic dynamic behavior of rotating machinery. Nolinearities can be introduced by taking into consideration deadband, side force, and rubbing, among others. The properties of the solutions of the Jeffcott equations with deadband are studied. In particular, it is shown how bounds for the solution of these equations can be obtained from bounds for the solutions of the linearized equations. By studying the behavior of the Fourier transforms of the solutions, we are also able to predict the onset of destructive vibrations. These conclusions are verified by means of numerical solutions of the equations, and of power spectrum density (PSD) plots. This study offers insight into a possible detection method to determine pump stability margins during flight and hot fire tests, and was motivated by the need to explain a phenomenon observed in the development phase of the cryogenic pumps of the Space Shuttle, during hot fire ground testing; namely, the appearance of vibrations at frequencies that could not be accounted for by means of linear models.
Study requirements, assumptions and guidelines were identified regarding carrier suitability, aircraft missions, technology availability, and propulsion considerations. Conceptual designs were executed for two missions, a full multimission aircraft and a minimum mission aircraft using three different propulsion systems, the UnDucted Fan (UDF), the Propfan and an advanced Turbofan. Detailed aircraft optimization was completed on those configurations yielding gross weight performance and carrier spot factors. Propfan STOVL conceptual designs were exercised also to show the effects of STOVL on gross weight, spot factor and cost. An advanced technology research plan was generated to identify additional investigation opportunities from an airframe contractors standpoint. Life cycle cost analysis was accomplished yielding a comparison of the UDF and propfan configurations against each other as well as against a turbofan with equivalent state of the art turbo-machinery.
An evaluation methodology is presented for a selection of candidate vibration analysis techniques applicable to machinery representative of the environmental control and life support system of advanced spacecraft; illustrative results are given. Attention is given to the statistical analysis of small sample experiments, the quantification of detection performance for diverse techniques through the computation of probability of detection versus probability of false alarm, and the quantification of diagnostic performance.
The Orbiter Motion section of the Environet Data Base deals with the acceleration and pointing environment on the Space Shuttle Orbiter. This paper presents a discussion of the contents of this section, how to effectively use the material, and plans for further development and modification of the material. Topics covered in the section include types of disturbance forces, terminology, instrumentation, and sources of motion. The sources of motion are further classified as gravity-gradient, aerodynamic drag, thrusting events, crew motion, and machinery motion. Acceleration levels given are the results of direct measurement and also calculation from known force levels. Where appropriate, power spectral density has been used to evaluate frequency content of the acceleration time history. The pointing accuracy of the Orbiter and instruments carried by the Orbiter for fine pointing is also given.
Networks of Boolean programmable logic modules are presented as one purely digital class of artificial neural nets. The approach contrasts with the continuous analog framework usually suggested. Programmable logic networks are capable of handling many neural-net applications. They avoid some of the limitations of threshold logic networks and present distinct opportunities. The network nodes are called dynamically programmable logic modules. They can be implemented with digitally controlled demultiplexers. Each node performs a Boolean function of its inputs which can be dynamically assigned. The overall network is therefore a combinational circuit and its outputs are Boolean global functions of the network's input variables. The approach offers definite advantages for VLSI implementation, namely, a regular architecture with limited connectivity, simplicity of the control machinery, natural modularity, and the support of a mature technology.
Report presents new methods for generating spur, helical, and spiral-bevel gears. Computer programs for analysis of tooth contacts developed for gears. Applied to spiral-bevel gears by use of currently available machinery and tools.
Pilot effective delay increases with system delay. Report compares pilot effective time delays measured in simulations of aircraft-control systems equipped with Space Shuttle rotational hand controller and with two versions of conventional stick-type hand controller. Report of interest to those concerned with design of multiple-axis controllers in aircraft, armored vehicles, industrial machinery, and remote manipulators: operator response or delay critical to stable and accurate operation of such systems.
Report describes research on engineering issues related to storage and transport of heat in slurries containing phase-change materials in microscopic capsules. Specific goal of project to develop lightweight, compact, heat-management systems used safely in inhabited areas of spacecraft. Further development of obvious potential of technology expected to lead to commercialization and use in aircraft, electronic equipment, machinery, industrial processes, and other sytems in which requirements for management of heat compete with severe restrictions on weight or volume.