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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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Bearing developed to enable high-speed machinery such as helicopter transmissions to continue to operate safely when oil pump fails. Bearing cup includes porous rib ring containing residual oil supply to lubricate rollers when external oil supply lost. Made by sintering powdered metal, pores of which hold emergency oil.
Assortment of documents describes simple, passive system that removes water formed from reaction of hydrogen and oxygen in proton-exchange-membrane fuel cell. Designed for use in zero gravity, system does not require any machinery or external source of power. Works by capillary action and differential pressure.
The purpose is to examine a function for approximating natural frequency constraints during structural optimization. The nonlinearity of frequencies has posed a barrier to constructing approximations for frequency constraints of high enough quality to facilitate efficient solutions. A new function to represent frequency constraints, called the Rayleigh Quotient Approximation (RQA), is presented. Its ability to represent the actual frequency constraint results in stable convergence with effectively no move limits. The objective of the optimization problem is to minimize structural weight subject to some minimum (or maximum) allowable frequency and perhaps subject to other constraints such as stress, displacement, and gage size, as well. A reason for constraining natural frequencies during design might be to avoid potential resonant frequencies due to machinery or actuators on the structure. Another reason might be to satisy requirements of an aircraft or spacecraft's control law. Whatever the structure supports may be sensitive to a frequency band that must be avoided. Any of these situations or others may require the designer to insure the satisfaction of frequency constraints. A further motivation for considering accurate approximations of natural frequencies is that they are fundamental to dynamic response constraints.
The application of vibration monitoring to the rotating machinery typical of ECLSS components in advanced NASA spacecraft was studied. It is found that the weighted summation of the accelerometer power spectrum is the most successful detection scheme for a majority of problem types. Other detection schemes studied included high-frequency demodulation, cepstrum, clustering, and amplitude processing.
The effects of simulated microgravity (30 days of continuous 6-deg headdown bedrest, BR) on the structural and metabolic characteristics of human skeletal muscle were determined. Percutaneous needle biopsy samples obtained from the vastus lateralis and soleus muscles before and after the headdown BR were analyzed for histochemical, biochemical and ultrastructual changes. It was found that headdown BR led to decreases in both fast-twitch and slow-twitch fiber areas in both muscles, and there was evidence of remodeling of the ultrastructure in both muscles. The activities of beta-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase and citrate synthase were reduced during BR, but phosphofructokinase and lactate dehydrogenase activities did not change. The results indicate that 30-d exposure to simulated microgravity decreased the capacity for aerobic energy supply of human skeletal muscle and led to a disorganization of the contractile machinery.
Deviations in periods of output from tracking filter measured. Signal-analyzing system measures degree to which sinusoid contaminated by noise. Noise-contamination detector indirectly measures noise in noisy sinusoidal signal by measuring average value of fractional absolute dither in period of signal. Developed to measure noise in outputs of vibration sensors used to test bearings and other components of rotating machinery.
Sustained vibrations at two critical frequencies trigger diagnostic response or shutdown. Vibration-analyzing electronic system detects instabilities of combustion in rocket engine. Controls pulse-mode firing of engine and identifies vibrations above threshold amplitude at 5.9 and/or 12kHz. Adapted to other detection and/or control schemes involving simultaneous real-time detection of signals above or below preset amplitudes at two or more specified frequencies. Potential applications include rotating machinery and encoders and decoders in security systems.
Report describes experimental and numerical-simulation studies of dynamical effects of rubbing between rotors and stators in turbomachinery. Purpose of study to gain improved understanding of such rubbing phenomena, with view toward: contributing to techniques for diagnosis of rubbing (e.g., via analysis of vibrations); predicting more accurately limiting operating conditions; and improving design criteria to prevent rubbing damage in high-performance rotating machinery.
Frequency-tracking-error detector compares average period of output signal from band-pass tracking filter with average period of signal of frequency 100 f(sub 0) that controls center frequency f(sub 0) of tracking filter. Measures difference between f(sub 0) and frequency of one of periodic components in output of bearing sensor. Bearing sensor is accelerometer, strain gauge, or deflectometer mounted on bearing housing. Detector part of system of electronic equipment used to measure vibrations in bearings in rotating machinery.
Signal-processing subsystem generates signal indicative of rotation of shaft from output of accelerometer mounted on housing of bearing supporting shaft. Output of subsystem binary signal at frequency of rotation of shaft. Part of assembly of electronic equipment measuring vibrations in rotating machinery. Accelerometer mounted in such way sensitive to vibrations of shaft perpendicular to axis. Output of accelerometer includes noise and components of vibration at frequencies higher than rotational frequency of shaft.
Digital frequency-synthesizing subsystem generates trains of pulses, free of jitter, for use as frequency-control signals in tracking filters. Part of assembly of electronic equipment used to measure vibrations in bearings in rotating machinery. Designed to meet requirements for tracking narrow-band cage-rotation and ball-pass components of vibrations, as discussed in "Frequency-Tracking Error Detector" (MFS-29538) and "Ball-Pass Cage-Modulation Detector" (MFS-29539). Synthesizer includes preset counter, output of which controls signal for ball-pass filter. Input to this preset counter updated every 2 microseconds: responds almost immediately, effectively eliminating relatively long response time (lock-in time) and phase jitter.
Vibration-suppressing control systems including piezoelectric actuators undergoing development. Small, lightweight, and rugged. Requires simpler electronic control subsystems and does not require large electromagnet coils. Continues to provide support and some passive damping even when electronic control subsystems or power supplies fail. Intended primarily to enhance safety and prevent damage in rotating machinery by sensing and counteracting vibrations. Useful in suppressing unpredictable vibrations caused by changes in loads, losses of rotating components and consequent imbalances in rotors, and ingestion of foreign objects into turbines.
Relatively simple source/detector pairs measure changes affecting optical alignment. System for monitoring small thermal, gravitational, and dynamical deformations in x-ray telescope includes two sources of infrared light, each associated with dual-axis, position-sensing photodiode. Principle of operation straightforward and applicable to monitoring of small lateral translations and/or rotations between different parts in machinery, buildings, bridges, ships, and other large structures.
Experimental study described in NASA technical memorandum performed to determine whether crash energy-absorption capabilities of graphite/epoxy and Kevlar/epoxy composite materials are functions of speed of crushing. Additional objective to develop understanding of mechanisms of crushing. Technology applied to enhancement of safety and crashworthiness of automobiles, design of energy-absorbing devices in machinery, and problems involving explosions and impacts.
Traditional optical systems for photon correlation spectroscopy and laser anemometry have relied upon physically large and fairly expensive lasers, bulk-optics such as lenses of a few inches diameter, large mechanical mounts and carefully selected, fragile and bulky photon counting photomultiplier detectors. In some cases, experimental fluid dynamics at a desired position in a flow, perhaps deep inside complex machinery, is physically impossible or very difficult. Similar problems exist with photon correlation spectroscopy, e.g., remote and heterodyne experiments. Various optical and electro optical components were investigated and characterized with the aim of replacing existing photon correlation laser spectroscopy and anemometry techniques in miniaturized form, and with significant cost reduction. Very recently, a range of miniature, modular light scattering systems were constructed from little solid state optical and electro optical components, and experimentally verified measurement performance comparable to standard lab photon correlation spectroscopy and laser anemometry equipment.
A design of a lunar regolith bag and bagging system is described. The bags of regolith are to be used for construction applications on the lunar surface. The machine is designed to be used in conjunction with the lunar SKITTER currently under development. The bags for this system are 1 cu ft volume and are made from a fiberglass composite weave. The machinery is constructed mostly from a boron/aluminum composite. The machine can fill 120 bags per hour and work for 8 hours a day. The man hours to machine hours ratio to operate the machine is .5/8.
Alternatives to the exploration of Mars by direct human presence are under consideration by both the United States and the Soviet Union. In these concepts, autonomous surface vehicles would navigate the planet performing a variety of detailed exploratory functions such as mapping, seismic measurements, sample collection and analysis. Both of these approaches to the exploration of Mars depend to a high degree on the ability of robotic machinery to perform complex functions without real time human direction. Closer to home and in time, robotics will begin to play a role in space operations in the construction and maintenance of Space Station Freedom. The Flight Telerobotic Servicer Project is introduced as an element of the Space Station Freedom, and its objectives and some special challenges it faces are discussed.
The Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) Emulator is under development at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) with the purpose to investigate computer simulations of integrated CELSS operations involving humans, plants, and process machinery. This paper describes Version 1.0 of the CELSS Emulator that was initiated in 1988 on the JSC Multi Purpose Applications Console Test Bed as the simulation framework. The run module of the simulation system now contains a CELSS model called BLSS. The CELSS Emulator makes it possible to generate model data sets, store libraries of results for further analysis, and also display plots of model variables as a function of time. The progress of the project is presented with sample test runs and simulation display pages.