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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 307 records · Page 17
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NASA NTRS2000

Monitoring Astronaut Health at the Nanoscale Cellular Level Through the Eye

A user friendly goggles-like head-mounted device equipped with a suite of instruments for several non-invasive and quantitative medical evaluation of the eye, skin, and brain is desired for monitoring the health of astronauts during space travel and exploration of neighboring and distant planets. Real-time non-invasive evaluation of the different structures within the above organs can provide indices of the health of not just these organs, but the entire body. The techniques such as dynamic light scattering (for the early detection of uveitis, cholesterol levels, cataract, changes in the vitreous and possibly Alzheimer's disease), corneal autofluorescence (to assess extracellular matrix biology e.g., in diabetes), optical activity measurements (of anterior ocular fluid to evaluate blood-glucose levels), laser Doppler velocimetry (to assess retinal, optic nerve, and choroidal blood flow), reflectometry/oximetry (for assessing ocular and central nervous system oxygen metabolism), optical coherence tomography (to determine retinal tissue microstructure) and possibly scanning laser technology (for intraocular tissue imaging and scanning) will he integrated into this compact device. Skin sensors will also be mounted on the portion of the device in contact with the periocular region. This will enable monitoring of body temperature, EEG, and electrolyte status. This device will monitor astronaut health during long-duration space travel by detecting aberrations from pre-established "nonns", enabling prompt diagnosis and possibly the initiation of early preventative/curative therapy. The non-invasive nature of the device technologies permits frequent repetition of tests, enabling real-time complete crew health monitoring. This device may ultimately be useful in tele-medicine to bring modern healthcare to under-served areas on Earth as well as in so-called "advanced" care settings (e.g. diabetes in the USA).

Ansari, Rafat R.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Mixing Process in Ejector Nozzles Studied at Lewis' Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory

The NASA Lewis Research Center has been studying mixing processes in ejector nozzles for its High Speed Research (HSR) Program. This work is directed at finding ways to minimize the noise of a future supersonic airliner. Much of the noise such an airplane would generate would come from the nozzle, where a hot, high-speed jet exits the engine. Several different nozzle configurations were used to produce nozzle systems with different acoustical and aerodynamic characteristics. The acoustical properties were measured by an array of microphones in an anechoic chamber, and the aerodynamics were measured by traditional pressure and temperature instruments as well as by Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV), a technique for visualizing the airflow pattern without disturbing it. These measurements were put together and compared for different configurations to examine the relationships between mixing and noise generation. The mixer-ejector nozzle with the installed flow-visualization windows (foreground), the optical equipment and the supporting structure for the Laser Doppler Velocimetry flow visualization (midfield), and the sound-absorbing wedges used to create an anechoic environment for acoustic testing (background) is shown. The High Speed Research Program is a NASA-funded effort, in cooperation with the U.S. aerospace industry, to develop enabling technologies for a future supersonic airliner. One of the technological barriers being addressed is noise generated during near-airport operation. The mixer-ejector nozzle concept is being examined as a way to reduce jet noise while maintaining thrust. Ambient air is mixed with the high-velocity engine exhaust to reduce the jet velocity and hence the noise generated by the jet. The model was designed and built by Pratt & Whitney under NASA contract. The test, completed in June 1995, was conducted in Lewis' Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1981

The Jupiter hot plasma torus - Observed electron temperature and energy flows

The detection of the optical emission /O I/ 6300 A (8 + or - 4 R) and /S III/ 6312 A (48 + or - 5 R) is reported. It is noted that these emissions are indicators of the ion source morphology and the plasma physical state and that the S III emitters have a kinetic temperature of approximately 10 to the 6th K. When combined with observations of UV lines from the same species, the optical measurements separately imply effective electron temperatures for radiative processes that are mutually consistent (approximately 50,000 K).

Brown, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Star Formation Rates in Cooling Flow Clusters: A UV Pilot Study with Archival XMM-Newton Optical Monitor Data

We have analyzed XMM-Newton Optical Monitor (OM) UV (180-400 nm) data for a sample of 33 galaxies. 30 are cluster member galaxies, and nine of these are central cluster galaxies (CCGs) in cooling flow clusters having mass deposition rates which span a range of 8 - 525 Solar Mass/yr. By comparing the ratio of UV to 2MASS J band fluxes, we find a significant UV excess in many, but not all, cooling flow CCGs, a finding consistent with the outcome of previous studies based on optical imaging data (McNamara & O'Connell 1989; Cardiel, Gorgas, & Aragon-Salamanca 1998; Crawford et al. 1999). This UV excess is a direct indication of the presence of young massive stars, and therefore recent star formation, in these galaxies. Using the Starburst99 spectral energy distribution (SED) model of continuous star formation over a 900 Myr period, we derive star formation rates of 0.2 - 219 solar Mass/yr for the cooling flow sample. For 2/3 of this sample it is possible to equate Chandra/XMM cooling flow mass deposition rates with UV inferred star formation rates, for a combination of starburst lifetime and IMF slope. This is a pilot study of the well populated XMM UV cluster archive and a more extensive follow up study is currently underway.

Hicks, A. K.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Star Formation Rates in Cooling Flow Clusters: A UV Pilot Study with Archival XMM-Newton Optical Monitor Data

We have analyzed XMM-Newton Optical Monitor (OM) UV (180-400 nm) data for a sample of 33 galaxies. 30 are cluster member galaxies, and nine of these are central cluster galaxies (CCGs) in cooling flow clusters having mass deposition rates which span a range of 8 - 525 solar mass per year. By comparing the ratio of UV to 2MASS J band fluxes, we find a significant UV excess in many, but not all, cooling flow CCGs, a finding consistent with the outcome of previous studies based on optical imaging data (McNamara & O Connell 1989; Cardiel, Gorgas, & Aragon-Salamanca 1998; Crawford et al. 1999). This UV excess is a direct indication of the presence of young massive stars, and therefore recent star formation, in these galaxies. Using the Starburst99 spectral energy distribution (SED) model of continuous star formation over a 900 Myr period, we derive star formation rates of 0.2 - 219 solar mass per year for the cooling flow sample. For 2/3 of this sample it is possible to equate Chandra/XMM cooling flow mass deposition rates with UV inferred star formation rates, for a combination of starburst lifetime and IMF slope. This is a pilot study of the well populated XMM UV cluster archive and a more extensive follow up study is currently underway.

Hicks, A. K.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Validation of a nonintrusive optical technique for the measurement of liquid mass distribution in a two-phase spray

This work is the continuation of an optical technique development program initiated as part of the 1992 Summer Faculty Fellowship Program. The 1992 work consisted of the formulation and implementation of a technique ivolving the spatial deconvolution of fluorescence data from a uniformly illuminated, seeded densed spray to obtain quantitative measurements of the liquid density profiles. This measurement approach largely overcomes substantial scattering problems associated with other optical approaches for two-phase flows. However, to apply this measurement approach with confidence to unknown flows, the technique must be validated. Consequently, technique validation using classical grid patternator techniques has been focus of the current work. This work has included the design and construction of a patternator rig and the implementation of a test program designed for the comparison of patternator data with the deconvolved optical data. The flow field used for the validation is the plume of an axisymetric swirl coaxial LOX injector being considered for use in the Space Transportation System Main Engine. The flow facility is an improved version of the test rig which was constructed in 1992 for the initial technique development. This report includes a brief description of the optical measurement technique and the patternator rig and a presentation of the data comparisons.

Hartfield, Roy, Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Optical measurements of fluctuating temperatures in a supersonic turbulent flow using one- and two-photon, laser-induced fluorescence

A laser-induced fluorescence technique was developed that provides a practical means of nonintrusively measuring the instantaneous temperatures in low-temperature turbulent flows. The capabilities of the method are reviewed, and its application to a simple, two-dimensional, turbulent boundary-layer flow at Mach 2 is reported. Measurements of the average temperature distribution through the boundary layer and the magnitudes of temperature fluctuations about their average values are presented.

Gross, K. P.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Optical measurements of fluctuating temperatures in a supersonic turbulent flow using one- and two-photon, laser-induced fluorescence

A laser-induced fluorescence technique has been developed that provides a practical means of nonintrusively measuring the instantaneous temperatures in low-temperature turbulent flows. The capabilities of the method are reviewed, and its application to a simple, two-dimensional, turbulent boundary-layer flow at Mach 2 is reported. Measurements of the average temperature distribution through the boundary layer and the magnitudes of temperature fluctuations about their average values are presented.

Gross, K. P.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Non-Intrusive Measurement Techniques for Flow Characterization of Hypersonic Wind Tunnels

This manuscript describes the wide variety of optical measurement techniques for characterizing the flow in hypersonic wind tunnels. The introduction briefly describes different types of hypersonic wind tunnels, why they are used, and typical freestream conditions including fluctuating quantities. Description of these conditions defines the challenge for measurement techniques which have varying degrees of accuracy and precision, and work only in certain temperature, density and/or speed regimes. The rest of the manuscript is broken up into sections, by measurement technique. Each technique is described and then several examples are provided. The concluding chapter compares and contrasts different aspects of the measurement techniques including accuracy, precision, spatial resolution and temporal resolution.

Danehy, P. M.↗
NASA NTRS1989

X-ray/EUV optics for astronomy and microscopy; Proceedings of the Meeting, San Diego, CA, Aug. 7-11, 1989

Topics included in these proceedings are on X-ray/EUV zone plates, filters, and windows; X-ray/EUV microscopes, telescopes, and monochromators; the design, characterization, and test of multilayer optics; the fabrication of X-ray/EUV multilayer optics; and the design, characterization, and test of grazing incidence X-ray optics. Other topics are on the fabrication of grazing incidence X-ray optics, X-ray/EUV space observatories and missions, the test and calibration of X-ray/EUV instruments, X-ray polarimetry, and X-ray/EUV spectroscopy and instruments. Papers are presented on 8-keV X-ray zone plates, a cylindrical X-ray multilayer monochromator, multilayer mirrors for 182 A, advanced flow polishing of exotic optical materials, and optical analysis of grazing incidence ring resonators for free-electron lasers. Attention is also given to X-ray mirrors for the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, the XUV wide-field camera for Rosat, an optical test and alignment method for the XMM mirror module, Bragg crystal polarimeters, and a liftoff process for multilayer phase gratings.

Hoover, Richard B.↗
NASA NTRS2004

General-Purpose Stereo Imaging Velocimetry Technique Developed for Space and Industrial Applications

A new three-dimensional, full-field analysis technique has been developed for industrial and space applications. Stereo Imaging Velocimetry (SIV) will provide full-field analysis for three-dimensional flow data from any optically transparent fluid that can be seeded with tracer particles. The goal of SIV is to provide a means to measure three-dimensional fluid velocities quantitatively and qualitatively at many points. SIV is applicable to any optically transparent fluid experiment. Except for the tracer particles, this measurement technique is nonintrusive. Velocity accuracies are on the order of 95 to 99 percent of fullfield. The system components of SIV include camera calibration, centroid determination, overlap decomposition, particle tracking, stereo matching, and three-dimensional velocity analysis. SIV has been used successfully for space shuttle experiments as well as for fluid flow applications for business and industry.

McDowell, Mark↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Absorption Laser Differential Interferometry for Simultaneous Colinear Flow Property and Fluctuation Measurements

An absorption laser differential interferometer (A-LDI) was constructed and tested in an effort to simultaneously and colinearly measure flow properties (pressure, temperature, concentration) and flow fluctuations (changes in optical path length). Whereas typical LDI and focused LDI (FLDI) systems use fixed wavelength lasers as the light source (often either green at approximately 532 nm or red at approximately 630 nm), a tunable 760 nm diode laser was used to probe the A-band absorption spectrum of molecular oxygen. The A-LDI system was used to measure O2 absorption and flow fluctuations in a sub-atmospheric pressure-controlled test cell, with absorption profiles from direct absorption and wavelength modulation absorption matching simulated results, while simultaneously being sensitive to high frequency fluctuations from jets of either compressed air or 100% O2 from a gas bottle. The A-LDI system was also installed at the NASA Langley Research Center Probe Calibration Tunnel to assess the freestream flow state in a Mach 3.5 flow. LDI measurements of the freestream indicated increasing amplitudes of flow fluctuations with increasing stagnation pressure at a fixed stagnation temperature, while absorption results demonstrated sensitivity to freestream pressure changes.

Joshua M. Weisberger↗
NASA NTRS1988

Application of optical correlation techniques to particle imaging

Pulsed laser sheet velocimetry yields noninstrusive measurements of velocity vectors across an extended 2-dimensional region of the flow field. The application of optical correlation techniques to the analysis of multiple exposure laser light sheet photographs can reduce and/or simplify the data reduction time and hardware. Here, Matched Spatial Filters (MSF) are used in a pattern recognition system. Usuallay MSFs are used to identify the assembly line parts. In this application, the MSFs are used to identify the iso-velocity vector contours in the flow. The patterns to be recognized are the recorded particle images in a pulsed laser light sheet photograph. Measurement of the direction of the particle image displacements between exposures yields the velocity vector. The particle image exposure sequence is designed such that the velocity vector direction is determined unambiguously. A global analysis technique is used in comparison to the more common particle tracking algorithms and Young's fringe analysis technique.

Wernet, Mark P.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Flow Measurement

Macrodyne, Inc.'s laser velocimeter (LV) is a system used in wind tunnel testing of aircraft, missiles and spacecraft employing electro optical techniques to probe the flow field as the tunnel blows air over a model of flight vehicle and to determine velocity of air and its direction at many points around the model. However, current state-of-the-art minicomputers cannot handle the massive flow of real time data from several sources simultaneously. Langley developed instrument Laser Velocimeter Autocovariance Buffer Interface (LVABI). LVABI is interconnecting instrument between LV and computer. It acquires data from as many as six LV channels at high real time data rates, stores it in memory and sends it to computer on command. LVABI has application in variety of research, industrial and defense functions requiring precise flow measurement.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1988

Application of optical correlation techniques to particle imaging velocimetry

Pulsed laser sheet velocimetry yields nonintrusive measurements of velocity vectors across an extended 2-dimensional region of the flow field. The application of optical correlation techniques to the analysis of multiple exposure laser light sheet photographs can reduce and/or simplify the data reduction time and hardware. Here, Matched Spatial Filters (MSF) are used in a pattern recognition system. Usually MSFs are used to identify the assembly line parts. In this application, the MSFs are used to identify the iso-velocity vector contours in the flow. The patterns to be recognized are the recorded particle images in a pulsed laser light sheet photograph. Measurement of the direction of the partical image displacements between exposures yields the velocity vector. The particle image exposure sequence is designed such that the velocity vector direction is determined unambiguously. A global analysis technique is used in comparison to the more common particle tracking algorithms and Young's fringe analysis technique.

Wernet, Mark P.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Focused Schlieren flow visualization studies of multiple venturi fuel injectors in a high pressure combustor

Multiple venturi fuel injectors were used to obtain uniform fuel distributions, better atomization and vaporization in the premixing/prevaporizing section of a lean premixed/prevaporized flame tube combustor. A focused Schlieren system was used to investigate the fuel/air mixing effectiveness of various fuel injection configurations. The Schlieren system was focused to a plane within the flow field of a test section equipped with optical windows. The focused image plane was parallel to the axial direction of the flow and normal to the optical axis. Images from that focused plane, formed by refracted light due to density gradients within the flow field, were filmed with a high-speed movie camera at framing rates of 8,000 frames per second (fps). Three fuel injection concepts were investigated by taking high-speed movies of the mixture flows at various operating conditions. The inlet air temperature was varied from 600 F to 1000 F, and inlet pressures from 80 psia to 150 psia. Jet-A fuel was used typically at an equivalence ratio of 0.5. The intensity variations of the digitized Schlieren images were analytically correlated to spatial density gradients of the mixture flows. Qualitative measurements for degree of mixedness, intensity of mixing, and mixing completion time are shown. Various mixing performance patterns are presented with different configurations of fuel injection points and operating conditions.

Chun, K. S.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Navier-Stokes Flowfield Simulation of Boeing 747-200 as Platform for SOFIA

Steady and unsteady viscous, three-dimensional flowfields are calculated using a thin layer approximation of Navier-Stokes equations in conjunction with Chimera overset grids. The finite-difference numerical scheme uses structured grids and a pentadiagonal flow solver called "OVERFLOW". The configuration of Boeing 747-200 has been chosen as one of configurations to be used as a platform for the SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy). Initially, the steady flowfield of the full aircraft is calculated for the clean configuration (without a cavity to house telescope). This solution is then used to start the unsteady flowfield of a configuration containing cavity housing the observation telescope and its peripheral units. Analysis of unsteady flowfield in the cavity and its influence on the tail empennage, as well as the noise due to turbulence and optical quality of the flow are the main focus of this study. For the configuration considered here, the telescope housing cavity is located slightly downstream of the portwing. The entire flow-field is carefully constructed using 45 overset grids and consists of nearly 4 million grid points. All the computations axe done at one freestream flow condition of M(sub infinity) = 0.85, alpha = 2.5deg, and a Reynolds of Re = 1.85x10deg

Srinivasan, G.R.↗
NASA NTRS2011

JWST Wavefront Control Toolbox

A Matlab-based toolbox has been developed for the wavefront control and optimization of segmented optical surfaces to correct for possible misalignments of James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) using influence functions. The toolbox employs both iterative and non-iterative methods to converge to an optimal solution by minimizing the cost function. The toolbox could be used in either of constrained and unconstrained optimizations. The control process involves 1 to 7 degrees-of-freedom perturbations per segment of primary mirror in addition to the 5 degrees of freedom of secondary mirror. The toolbox consists of a series of Matlab/Simulink functions and modules, developed based on a "wrapper" approach, that handles the interface and data flow between existing commercial optical modeling software packages such as Zemax and Code V. The limitations of the algorithm are dictated by the constraints of the moving parts in the mirrors.

Shin, Shahram Ron↗