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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 NTRS1976

Relative toxicity of products of pyrolysis and combustion of polymeric materials using various test conditions

Relative toxicity data for a large number of natural and synthetic polymeric materials are presented which were obtained by 11 pyrolysis and three flaming-combustion test methods. The materials tested include flexible and rigid polyurethane foams, different kinds of fabrics and woods, and a variety of commodity polymers such as polyethylene. Animal exposure chambers of different volumes containing mice, rats, or rabbits were used in the tests, which were performed over the temperature range from ambient to 800 C with and without air flow or recirculation. The test results are found to be sensitive to such variables as exposure mode, temperature, air flow and dilution, material concentration, and animal species, but relative toxicity rankings appear to be similar for many methods and materials. It is concluded that times to incapacitance and to death provide a more suitable basis for relative toxicity rankings than percent mortality alone, that temperature is the most important variable in the tests reported, and that variables such as chamber volume and animal species may not significantly affect the rankings.

Hilado, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1976

The morphological evolution of mare-highland contacts - A potential measure of relative mare surface age

The uniform breaks in slopes along many mare-highland contacts may be debris aprons transported primarily by impact erosion at relatively slow rates. Other suggestions, such as the 'high lava mark' hypothesis, appear inadequate to explain all of the unique characteristics of these widespread features. There is a reasonable correlation of overall slope form (profile) and apron distribution with established mare age provinces. Distinctive debris aprons in the younger maria could represent the initial stages of lunar slope degradation produced mainly by the postmare impact flux. The growth of debris aprons must be qualitatively related to the impact flux recorded on adjacent mare surfaces and could provide an approximate means of extrapolating relative mare ages to highland scarps and crater walls. By combining detailed measurements of lunar slopes with development of a realistic model for impact modification of these features, approximate limits for the cumulative lunar flux distribution through time might be derived.

Young, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Inviscid, nonadiabatic flow fields over blunt, sonic corner bodies for outer planet entry conditions by a method of integral relations

An investigation has been made into the ability of a method of integral relations to calculate inviscid zero degree angle of attack, radiative heating distributions over blunt, sonic corner bodies for some representative outer planet entry conditions is investigated. Comparisons have been made with a more detailed numerical method, a time asymptotic technique, using the same equilibrium chemistry and radiation transport subroutines. An effort to produce a second order approximation (two-strip) method of integral relations code to aid in this investigation is also described and a modified two-strip routine is presented. Results indicate that the one-strip method of integral relations cannot be used to obtain accurate estimates of the radiative heating distribution because of its inability to resolve thermal gradients near the wall. The two-strip method can sometimes be used to improve these estimates; however, the two-strip method has only a small range of conditions over which it will yield significant improvement over the one-strip method.

Gnoffo, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Parametric dependence of ion temperature and relative density in the NASA Lewis SUMMA facility

Further hot-ion plasma experiments were conducted in the SUMMA superconducting magnetic mirror facility. A steady-state ExB plasma was formed by applying a strong radially inward dc electric field between cylindrical anodes and hollow cathodes located near the magnetic mirror maxima. Extending the use of water cooling to the hollow cathodes, in addition to the anodes, resulted in higher maximum power input to the plasma. Steady-state hydrogen plasmas with ion kinetic temperatures as high as 830 eV were produced. Functional relations were obtained empirically among the plasma current, voltage, magnetic flux density, ion temperature, and relative ion density. The functional relations were deduced by use of a multiple correlation analysis. Data were obtained for midplane magnetic fields from 0.5 to 3.37 tesla and input power up to 45 kW. Also, initial absolute electron density measurements are reported from a 90 deg Thomson scattering laser system.

Snyder, A.↗
NASA NTRS1978

On the use of relative velocity exponents for jet engine exhaust noise

The effect of flight on jet engine exhaust noise has often been presented in terms of a relative velocity exponent, n, as a function of radiation angle. The value of n is given by the OASPL reduction due to relative velocity divided by 10 times the logarithm of the ratio of relative jet velocity to absolute jet velocity. In such terms, classical subsonic jet noise theory would result in a value of n being approximately 7 at 90 degree angle to the jet axis with n decreasing, but remaining positive, as the inlet axis is approached and increasing as the jet axis is approached. However, flight tests have shown a wide range of results, including negative values of n in some cases. In this paper it is shown that the exponent n is positive for pure subsonic jet mixing noise and varies, in a systematic manner, as a function of flight conditions and jet velocity.

Stone, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Parametric dependence of ion temperature and relative density in the NASA Lewis SUMMA facility

Further hot-ion plasma experiments were conducted in the SUMMA superconducting magnetic mirror facility. A steady-state plasma with mutually perpendicular magnetic and electric fields was formed by applying a strong radially inward dc electric field between cylindrical anodes and hollow cathodes located near the magnetic mirror maxima. Extending the use of water cooling to the hollow cathodes, in addition to the anodes, resulted in higher maximum power input to the plasma. Steady-state hydrogen plasmas with ion kinetic temperatures as high as 830 eV were produced. Functional relations were obtained empirically among the plasma current, voltage, magnetic flux density, ion temperature, and relative ion density. The functional relations were deduced by use of a multiple correlation analysis. Data were obtained for midplane magnetic fields from 0.5 to 3.37 tesla and input power up to 45 kW. Also, initial absolute electron density measurements are reported from a 90 deg Thomson scattering laser system.

Snyder, A.↗
NASA NTRS1978

On the use of relative velocity exponents for jet engine exhaust noise

The effect of flight on jet engine exhaust noise has often been presented in terms of a relative velocity exponent, n, as a function of radiation angle. The value of n is given by the OASPL reduction due to relative velocity divided by 10 times the logarithm of the ratio of relative jet velocity to absolute jet velocity. It is shown in this paper that the exponent n is positive for pure subsonic jet mixing noise and varies, in a systematic manner, as a function of flight conditions and jet velocity. On the basis of calculations from simple empirical models for jet mixing noise, shock noise and internally-generated noise, it is shown that when other sources are present, the resulting range of n is increased over the range for jet mixing noise, and in some cases negative values of n are obtained.

Stone, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1978

On the relation between phase path, group path and attenuation in a cold absorbing plasma

Consideration is given to a cold absorbing plasma in which the collision frequency is zero. Expressions are developed which relate the attenuation and the group and phase refractive indices. It is found that because the expressions for the group and phase refractive indices and the imaginary part of the refractive index are closely related in form, the attenuation is related to the difference between the group and phase paths. Numerical calculations have derived approximations which significantly increase the range of known approximations of this type.

Bennett, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Relative ages of flow units in Mare Imbrium and Sinus Iridum

A method for determining relative ages from low-resolution Lunar Orbiter photographs of lunar plains has been developed and applied to Mare Imbrium and Sinus Iridum. The method is an extension of previous ones and uses the shapes of craters and a small-impact erosion model to estimate the net accumulated impact flux. The net impact flux that has accumulated on a surface of uniform age is a measure of relative age of that surface and can be estimated by the largest diameters of craters that have been degraded by the net impact flux. Frequency distributions or relative ages indicate that there are four major units present in Mare Imbrium and Sinus Iridum. The older mare units are generally found along the edge of the basin and the younger units in the center. A similar distribution of ages of units in Mare Serenitatis shows the two basins have had similar filling histories. Filling histories for other circular basins may be similar to these two.

Boyce, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1979

A luminosity-temperature relation for cluster X-ray sources

Luminosity-temperature (L-T) relations are derived for a self-gravitating isothermal gas sphere and for an isothermal gas sphere in hydrostatic equilibrium with the total mass of a cluster of galaxies. The relationships are compared with X-ray data for 13 clusters of galaxies. The L-T relation for the self-gravitating isothermal gas sphere is found to predict X-ray luminosities that are considerably larger than those observed, and the corresponding model is ruled out. It is shown, however, that the L-T relation for the isothermal gas sphere in hydrostatic equilibrium with total cluster mass is consistent with X-ray observations for reasonable choices of the ratio between central density and confining-mass density. Core radii or gas temperatures are predicted for five of the 13 clusters considered.

Henry, P.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Relative toxicity of materials in fire situations

The results of toxicity testing of additional materials is presented. Relative toxicity data on polymers by generic type are presented and include wood, polyurethane flexible foam, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene (ABS), and polyisoprene (natural rubber). A second table gives relative toxicity data on fibers and fabrics including wool, nylon, rayon, polyester, and aromatic polyamide. Sulfur-containing materials seemed to exhibit the shortest times to death of laboratory animals. Some chlorine-containing polymers tended to exhibit shortest time to death also while some halogen-containing polymers gave the shortest time to incapacitation. Among fibers and fabrics, wool, silk, and polyester exhibited the shortest times to incapacitation and times to death. Difficulty in restricting generally accepted materials is discussed and attention is given to other factors important in comparing materials, such as backcoatings and relative weights.

Hilado, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1980

The Barnes-Evans color-surface brightness relation: A preliminary theoretical interpretation

Model atmosphere calculations are used to assess whether an empirically derived relation between V-R and surface brightness is independent of a variety of stellar paramters, including surface gravity. This relationship is used in a variety of applications, including the determination of the distances of Cepheid variables using a method based on the Beade-Wesselink method. It is concluded that the use of a main sequence relation between V-R color and surface brightness in determining radii of giant stars is subject to systematic errors that are smaller than 10% in the determination of a radius or distance for temperature cooler than 12,000 K. The error in white dwarf radii determined from a main sequence color surface brightness relation is roughly 10%.

Shipman, H. L.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Electrical torques on the electrostatic gyro in the gyro relativity experiment

A comprehensive discussion and calculation of electrical torques on an electrostatic gyro as they relate to the gyroscope experiment to test general relativity is presented. Drift rates were computed for some typical state of the art rotors, including higher harmonics in the rotor shape. The effect of orbital averaging of gravity gradient forces, roll averaging of torques, and the effect of spin averaging on the effective shape of the rotor were considered. The electrical torques are reduced sufficiently in a low g environment to permit a measurement of the relativistic drifts predicted by general relativity.

Eby, P.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Crystal Microbalance Monitors Relative Humidity

Sensor monitors water evaporation in industrial drying processes. Measured adsorption isotherm for instrument essentially linear over entire range of relative humidity. Testing at each temperature setting less than half hour for full relative-humidity range, with estimated frequency response time less than 10 seconds. Used to measure relative humidity of ambient atmosphere near drying paper, food textile fabrics and pulp to optimize water-drying portion of processing cycle.

Yang, L. C.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Theoretical method for calculating relative joint geometry of assembled robot arms

Equations are developed to extract the relative joint parameters of an assembled robot arm. Specifically, the Denavit-Hartenberg parameters, which completely characterize the relative joint geometry, are calculated. These parameters are needed to control the hand of the robot arm by resolved rate. As an example, the parameter extraction equations are used with perfect simulated data (no measurement noise) obtained from a mathematical model of a six-degree-of-freedom robot arm. For an actual application, measurement data needed to estimate the relative joint parameters can be generated by moving a robot arm to different positions, measuring the location of the hand (or other extension) in base coordinates, and recording the corresponding joint angles.

Barker, L. K.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Resolution versus speckle relative to geologic interpretability of spaceborne radar images - A survey of user preference

A survey conducted to evaluate user preference for resolution versus speckle relative to the geologic interpretability of spaceborne radar images is discussed. Thirteen different resolution/looks combinations are simulated from Seasat synthetic-aperture radar data of each of three test sites. The SAR images were distributed with questionnaires for analysis to 85 earth scientists. The relative discriminability of geologic targets at each test site for each simulation of resolution and speckle on the images is determined on the basis of a survey of the evaluations. A large majority of the analysts respond that for most targets a two-look image at the highest simulated resolution is best. For a constant data rate, a higher resolution is more important for target discrimination than a higher number of looks. It is noted that sand dunes require more looks than other geologic targets. At all resolutions, multiple-look images are preferred over the corresponding single-look image. In general, the number of multiple looks that is optimal for discriminating geologic targets is inversely related to the simulated resolution.

Ford, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Spinning fluids in general relativity

General relativity field equations are employed to examine a continuous medium with internal spin. A variational principle formerly applied in the special relativity case is extended to the general relativity case, using a tetrad to express the spin density and the four-velocity of the fluid. An energy-momentum tensor is subsequently defined for a spinning fluid. The equations of motion of the fluid are suggested to be useful in analytical studies of galaxies, for anisotropic Bianchi universes, and for turbulent eddies.

Ray, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Cardiovascular responses to exercise as functions of absolute and relative work load

The roles of absolute and relative oxygen uptake (VO2 and percent of muscle group specific VO2-max) as determinants of the cardiovascular and ventilatory responses to exercise over a wide range of active muscle mass are investigated. Experiments were conducted using four types of dynamic exercise: one-arm curl, one-arm cranking, and one and two-leg cycling at four different relative work loads (25, 50, 75, and 100 percent of VO2-max) for the corresponding muscle group. Results show that VO2 during maximal one-arm curl, one-arm cranking, and one-leg cycling averaged 20, 50, and 75 percent, respectively, of that for maximal two-leg cycling. Cardiac output was determined to be linearly related to VO2 with a similar slope and intercept for each type of exercise, and the heart rate at a given percent VO2-max was higher with larger active muscle mass. It is concluded that the cardiovascular responses to exercise was determined to a large extent by the active muscle mass and the absolute oxygen uptake, with the principal feature appearing to be the tight linkage between systematic oxygen transport and utilization.

Lewis, S. F.↗