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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 343 records · Page 19
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

ERS-1 SAR backscatter changes associated with ice growing on shallow lakes in Arctic Alaska

Spatial and temporal backscatter intensity (sigma(sup o)) variations from ice growing on shallow lakes during winter 1991-92 near Barrow, NW Alaska, have been quantified for the first time using ERS-I C-band SAR data acquired at the Alaska SAR Facility. A field and laboratory validation program, including measurements of the thickness and structure-stratigraphy of the ice, indicates that sigma(sup o) values are strongly dependent on whether the ice freezes to the lake bottom, or remains afloat. Backscatter intensity decreases significantly when the ice grounds on the bottom. Strong backscatter from floating ice is attributed to a specular ice-water interface and vertically oriented tubular bubbles. During the spring thaw, backscatter undergoes a reversal; sigma(sup o) values from ice that was grounded increase, while sigma(sup o) values from ice that was afloat decrease. This phenomenon has not previously been reported.

Jeffries, M. O.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Buckling Analysis of Debonded Sandwich Panel Under Compression

A sandwich panel with initial through-the-width debonds is analyzed to study the buckling of its faceskin when subject to an in-plane compressive load. The debonded faceskin is modeled as a beam on a Winkler elastic foundation in which the springs of the elastic foundation represent the sandwich foam. The Rayleigh-Ritz and finite-difference methods are used to predict the critical buckling load for various debond lengths and stiffnesses of the sandwich foam. The accuracy of the methods is assessed with a plane-strain finite-element analysis. Results indicate that the elastic foundation approach underpredicts buckling loads for sandwich panels with isotropic foam cores.

Sleight, David W.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Northern and Southern Hemisphere Ground-Based Infrared Spectroscopic Measurements of Tropospheric Carbon Monoxide and Ethane

Time series of CO and C2H6 measurements have been derived from high resolution infrared solar spectra recorded in Lauder, New Zealand (45.0 deg S, 169.7 deg E, altitude 0.37 km) and at the U. S. National Solar Observatory (31.90 deg N, 111.6 deg W, altitude 2.09 km) on Kitt Peak. Lauder observations were obtained between July 1993 and November 1997 while the Kitt Peak measurements were recorded between May 1977 and December 1997. Both databases were analyzed with spectroscopic parameters that included significant improvements for C2H6 relative to previous studies. Target CO and C2H6 lines were selected to achieve similar vertical samplings based on averaging kernels. These calculations show that partial columns from layers extending from the surface to the mean tropopause and from the mean tropopause to 100 km are nearly independent. Retrievals based on a semiempirical application of the Rodgers optimal estimation technique are reported for the lower layer, which has a broad maximum in sensitivity in the upper troposphere. The Lauder CO and C2H6 partial columns exhibit highly asymmetrical seasonal cycles with minima in austral autumn and sharp peaks in austral spring. The spring maxima are the result of tropical biomass burning emissions followed by deep convective vertical transport to the upper troposphere and long-range horizontal transport. Significant year-to-year variations are observed for both CO and C2H6, but the measured trends, (+0.37 +/- 0.57)%/ yr and (-0.64 +/- 0.79)%/ yr, 1 sigma, respectively, indicate no significant long-term changes. The Kitt Peak data also exhibit CO and C2H6 seasonal variations in the lower layer with trends equal to (-0.27 +/- 0.17)%/ yr and (-1.20 +/- 0.35)%/ yr, 1 sigma, respectively. Hence, a decrease in the Kitt Peak tropospheric C2H6 column has been detected, though the CO trend is not significant. Both measurement sets are compared with previous observations, reported trends, and three-dimensional model calculations.

Rinsland, Curtis P.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Surface Ozone Variability and Trends over the South African Highveld from 1990 to 2007

Surface ozone is a secondary air pollutant formed from reactions between nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) and volatile organic compounds in the presence of sunlight. In this work we examine effects of the climate pattern known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and NOx variability on surface ozone from 1990 to 2007 over the South African Highveld, a heavily populated region in South Africa with numerous industrial facilities. Over summer and autumn (December-May) on the Highveld, El Niño, as signified by positive sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies over the central Pacific Ocean, is typically associated with drier and warmer than normal conditions favoring ozone formation. Conversely, La Niña, or negative SST anomalies over the central Pacific Ocean, is typically associated with cloudier and above normal rainfall conditions, hindering ozone production. We use a generalized regression model to identify any linear dependence that the Highveld ozone, measured at five air quality monitoring stations, may have on ENSO and NOx. Our results indicate that four out of the five stations exhibit a statistically significant sensitivity to ENSO at some point over the December-May period where El Niño amplifies ozone formation and La Niña reduces ozone formation. Three out of the five stations reveal statistically significant sensitivity to NOx variability, primarily in winter and spring. Accounting for ENSO and NOx effects throughout the study period of 18 years, two stations exhibit statistically significant negative ozone trends in spring, one station displays a statistically significant positive trend in August, and two stations show no statistically significant change in surface ozone.

NOx↗
NASA NTRS2019

Coronagraphic Observations of the Lunar Sodium Exosphere January-June, 2017

In order to observe the lunar sodium exosphere out to one-half degree around the Moon, we designed, built and installed a small robotically controlled coronagraph at the Winer Observatory in Sonoita, Arizona. Observations are obtained remotely every available clear night from our home base at Goddard Space Flight Center or from Prescott, Arizona. We employ an Andover temperature-controlled 1.5-angstrom-wide narrow-band filter centered on the sodium D2 line, and a similar 1.5-angstrom filter centered blueward of the D2 line by 3 angstroms for continuum observations. Our data encompass lunations in 2015, 2016, and 2017, thus we have a long baseline of sodium exospheric calibrated images. During the course of three years we have refined the observational sequence in many respects. Therefore this paper only presents the results of the spring, 2017, observing season. We present limb profiles from the south pole to the north pole for many lunar phases. Our data do not fit any power of cosine model as a function of lunar phase or with latitude. The extended Na exosphere has a characteristic temperature of about 2250–6750 degrees Kelvin, indicative of a partially escaping exosphere. The hot escaping component may be indicative of a mixture of impact vaporization and a sputtered component.

Moon↗
NASA NTRS1996

Decadal evolution of the Antarctic ozone hole

Ozone column amounts obtained by the total ozone mapping spectrometer (TOMS) in the southern polar region are analyzed during late austral winter and spring (days 240-300) for 1980-1991 using area-mapping techniques and area-weighted vortex averages. The vortex here is defined using the -50 PVU (1 PVU = 1.0 x 10(-6) K kg-1 m2 s-1) contour on the 500 K isentropic surface. The principal results are: (1) there is a distinct change after 1985 in the vortex-averaged column ozone depletion rate during September and October, the period of maximum ozone loss, and (2) the vortex-averaged column ozone in late August (day 240) has dropped by 70 Dobson units (DU) in a decade due to the loss in the dark and the dilution effect. The mean ozone depletion rate in the vortex between day 240 and the day of minimum vortex-averaged ozone is about 1 DU d-1 at the beginning of the decade, increasing to about 1.8 DU d-1 by 1985, and then apparently saturating thereafter. The vortex-average column ozone during September and October has declined at the rate of 11.3 DU yr-1 (3.8%) from 1980 to 1987 (90 DU over 8 years) and at a smaller rate of 2 DU yr-1 (0.9%) from 1987 to 1991 (10 DU over 5 years, excluding the anomalous year 1988). We interpret the year-to-year trend in the ozone depletion rate during the earlier part of the decade as due to the rise of anthropogenic chlorine in the atmosphere. The slower trend at the end of the decade indicates saturation of ozone depletion in the vortex interior, in that chlorine amounts in the mid-1980s were already sufficiently high to deplete most of the ozone in air within the isolated regions of the lower-stratospheric polar vortex. In subsequent years, increases in stratospheric chlorine may have enhanced wintertime chemical loss of ozone in the south polar vortex even before major losses during the Antarctic spring.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS1984

Passive microwave rain estimation over land and ocean at 37 GHz

The use of Nimbus-7 Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer brightness-temperature data to estimate rain rates is discussed in a review of the author's recent experimental investigations. The performance of multiple-frequency spring, summer, and fall rain-rate algorithms for use over land; a single-frequency (37-GHz) algorithm for use over warm oceans; and 37-GHz brightness-temperature criteria for detecting severe thunderstorms is presented in graphs and tables and briefly characterized. The potential value of a microwave radiometer in GEO is indicated.

Spencer, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Trace elements in mineral separates of the Pena Blanca Spring aubrite - Implications for the evolution of the aubrite parent body

A detailed chemical study is conducted of the Pena Blanca Spring aubrite in order to clarify both the origin of the aubrite parent body (APB) and its relation to the enstatite chondrites. The distribution of REE among aubritic minerals cannot be the result of fractional distillation, which would occur if high degrees of partial melting had occurred on the APB. The REE distributions instead indicate a complete equilibrium of oldhamite and other phases, so that a brief nonequilibrium melting episode must have led to the segregation of metal and sulfides.

Lodders, K.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

On the Representation of Through-The-Thickness Reinforcements in Finite Element Analysis of Stitched, Blade Stiffened Panels

Modern aircraft employ laminated composites for their tailorable in-plane properties, high specific strengths, and high specific stiffnesses. However, laminated composites exhibit relatively poor interlaminar properties without through-the-thickness reinforcements. Quantifying the necessary amount of through-the-thickness reinforcements is necessary to reduce cost and meet damage tolerance certification requirements. In this study, a discrete superposed cohesive element (DSCE) approach is applied to represent the mixed-mode delamination behavior of stitched stiffened panels subjected to seven-point bending. This approach is compared to a one-dimensional embedded spring element (ESE) method. The DSCE approach uses two superposed bilinear traction-separation laws to obtain a representative load-displacement response determined from interlaminar tensile and shear tests. Additionally, several stitch configurations (unstitched, stitched, and overstitched) are evaluated in terms of their load-displacement response and crack-arrestment capability. Results indicate that the DSCE and ESE approaches show good agreement with respect to the predicted load-displacement response, but the ESE method tends to overpredict the crack growth behavior by approximately 13%. Stitches were not observed to fail during skin-stringer separation. Using an overstitched laminate with stitches near the flange edge provides the greatest crack-arrestment capability. Furthermore, the skin retains 92% of its stiffness after skin-stringer separation occurs.

composites↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

On the Representation of Through-The-Thickness Reinforcements in Finite Element Analysis of Stitched, Blade Stiffened Panels

Modern aircraft employ laminated composites for their tailorable in-plane properties, high specific strengths, and high specific stiffnesses. However, laminated composites exhibit relatively poor interlaminar properties without through-the-thickness reinforcements. Quantifying the necessary amount of through-the-thickness reinforcements is necessary to reduce cost and meet damage tolerance certification requirements. In this study, a discrete superposed cohesive element (DSCE) approach is applied to represent the mixed-mode delamination behavior of stitched stiffened panels subjected to seven-point bending. This approach is compared to a one-dimensional embedded spring element (ESE) method. The DSCE approach uses two superposed bilinear traction-separation laws to obtain a representative load-displacement response determined from interlaminar tensile and shear tests. Additionally, several stitch configurations (unstitched, stitched, and overstitched) are evaluated in terms of their load-displacement response and crack-arrestment capability. Results indicate that the DSCE and ESE approaches show good agreement with respect to the predicted load-displacement response, but the ESE method tends to overpredict the crack growth behavior by approximately 13%. Stitches were not observed to fail during skin-stringer separation. Using an overstitched laminate with stitches near the flange edge provides the greatest crack-arrestment capability. Furthermore, the skin retains 92% of its stiffness after skin-stringer separation occurs.

composites↗
NASA NTRS1975

Seasonal streamflow estimation employing satellite snowcover observations

Low resolution meteorological satellite and high resolution earth resources satellite data have been used to map snow covered area over the upper Indus River and the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming, respectively. For the Indus River early spring snow covered area was extracted and related to April through June stream flow from 1967-1971 using a regression equation. Prediction of the April-June 1972 stream flow from the satellite data was within three percent of the actual total. Composited results from two years of data over seven Wind River Mountain watersheds indicated that LANDSAT-1 snow cover observations, separated on the basis of watershed elevation, could also be related to runoff in significant regression equations.

Rango, A.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Evaluation of the Williams-type spring wheat model in North Dakota and Minnesota

The Williams type model, developed similarly to previous models of C.V.D. Williams, uses monthly temperature and precipitation data as well as soil and topological variables to predict the yield of the spring wheat crop. The models are statistically developed using the regression technique. Eight model characteristics are examined in the evaluation of the model. Evaluation is at the crop reporting district level, the state level and for the entire region. A ten year bootstrap test was the basis of the statistical evaluation. The accuracy and current indication of modeled yield reliability could show improvement. There is great variability in the bias measured over the districts, but there is a slight overall positive bias. The model estimates for the east central crop reporting district in Minnesota are not accurate. The estimate of yield for 1974 were inaccurate for all of the models.

Leduc, S.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Storm severity detection (RF)

Atmospheric electrical emissions occurring in association with Hurricane Alicia were observed by two crossed baseline phase linear interferometers. The sensors were located in San Antonio, Texas, and at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Huntsville, Alabama. An analysis of the data has indicated that the direction finding (DF) performance of the San Antonio site was extremely good while the DF performance at the MSFC site evidenced erratic behavior. A check of the data acquisition hardware revealed an intermitted problem in one of the radio receiver channels. Since the system has experienced several lightning strikes during the early spring of 1984, it was necessary to ship the entire rack of equipment back to SwRI for refurbishment. Analysis of the DF data from the interferometer site at San Antonio is being done. A limited subset of the MSFC data acquired during Hurricane Alicia has been found to be valid. These were data which satisfied the phase linearity criteria. Approximately 2,000 location estimates have been produced on the valid data. The results of the DF analysis and the location data are being correlated with the McIDAS data base at Marshall Space Flight Center, and with the radar summary data provided by the Hurricane Research Division using the National weather Service radar Facility at Galveston, Texas.

Johnson, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Further generalization of an equivalent plate representation for aircraft structural analysis

Recent developments from a continuing effort to provide an equivalent plate representation for aircraft structural analysis are described. Previous work provided an equivalent plate analysis formulation that is capable of modeling aircraft wing structures with a general planform such as cranked wing boxes. However, the modeling is restricted to representing wing boxes having symmetric cross sections. Further developments, which are described, allow modeling of wing cross sections having asymmetries that can arise from airfoil camber or from thicknesses being different in the upper and lower cover skins. An implementation of thermal loadings, which are described as temperature distributions over the planform of the cover skins, has been included. Spring supports have been added to provide for a more general set of boundary conditions. Numerical results are presented to assess the effect of wing camber on the static and dynamic response of an example wing structure under pressure and thermal loading. These results are compared with results from a finite element analysis program to indicate how well a cambered wing box can be represented with an equivalent plate formulation.

Giles, Gary L.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Further generalization of an equivalent plate representation for aircraft structural analysis

Recent developments from a continuing effort to provide an equivalent plate representation for aircraft structural analysis are described. Previous work provided an equivalent plate analysis formulation that is capable of modeling aircraft wing structures with a general planform such as cranked wing boxes. However, the modeling is restricted to representing wing boxes having symmetric cross sections. Further developments, which are described in this paper, allow modeling of wing cross section having asymmetries that can arise from airfoil camber or from thicknesses being different in the upper and lower cover skins. An implementation of thermal loadings, which are described as temperature distributions over the planform of the cover skins, has been included. Spring supports have been added to provide for a more general set of boundary conditions. Numerical results are presented to assess the effect of wing camber on the static and dynamic response of an example wing structure under pressure and thermal loading. These results are compared with results from a finite element analysis program to indicate how well a cambered wing box can be represented with an equivalent plate formulation.

Giles, Gary L.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Diversity and Physiology of Siderophilic Cyanobacteria: Implication for the Bioenergetics

Prior to 2.4 Ga, global oceans were likely significantly enriched in soluble iron (Rouxel, Bekker, Edwards, 2005), a condition that is not conducive to the growth of most contemporary mesophilic cyanobacteria (CB). Recent studies of the mechanisms of iron-deficiency stress in CB suggest that contemporary mesophilic freshwater and marine B underwent long-term adaptation to a permanent decrease in soluble iron in the ocean environment (Boyer, et al., 1987; Braun, Hantke, and Koster, 1998). Of all extant environments, iron-depositing hot springs may constitute the most appropriate natural models for analysis of the transition of ancestral cyanobacteria (CB) or protocyanobacteria (PCB) (Olson, 2001) from anoxygenic photosynthesis to oxygenic one and biogeochemical processes in the late Archean and early Paleoproterozoic eras. In particular, Olson (2001) proposed the definition for PCB and postulated that the common ancestor of PCB and CB might well have used Fe(OH)+ as the principal electron donor for CO2 fixation (Widdel, et al., 1993; Ehrenreich and Widdel, 1994; Pierson and Olson, 1989; Olson, 2006). Olson (2001) proposed that the driving force for the evolution of RC2, in addition to RC1, was the necessity to use Fe(OH)+ effectively for CO2 fixation in the absence of reduced sulfur compounds. The global decrease of dissolved environmental reduced iron could have been the driving force for the transition from anoxygenic to oxygenic photosynthesis (Brown et al., 2007). Despite the insights into the ecology, evolutionary biology, paleogeobiochemistry, and astrobiology the examination of iron depositing hot springs (IDHS) could potentially provide, very few studies dedicated to the diversity and physiology of cyanobacteria inhabiting IDHS have been conducted. Here we describe the phylogeny, physiology and ultrastructure and biogeochemical activity of several recent CB isolates from two different greater Yellowstone area IDHS, e.g. LaDuke and Chocolate Pots. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA genes indicated that 6 of 12 new isolates examined could not be placed within established CB genera. Some of the isolates exhibited pronounced requirements for elevated iron concentrations, with maximum growth rates observed when 0.4-1 mM Fe(3+) was present in the media. However, the pronounced effect of iron limitation on the proliferation of siderophilic CB can be observed only after several passages through iron "free" media. TEM studies of several species of siderophilic CB revealed that the cultures JSC-3 and -11 are probably capable of some sort of pinocytosis of precipitated iron. This phenomenon may explain high tolerance of siderophilic CB to iron deficit. We also found that the stimulation of the growth of siderophilic CB by oxidized iron is accompanied by the decrease of O2 evolution by some species after addition Fe(2+) in iron "free" medium.

Brown, Igor↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Improving Modeled Snow Mass in GEOS with Snow Cover Fraction Assimilation

The NASA Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) Forward Processing (FP) global weather analysis often considerably underestimates near-surface air temperature during the spring snow melt season, which can be caused by excessive simulated snow cover. To mitigate such errors, we developed an empirical snow cover fraction (SCF) analysis to assimilate SCF observations from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) into the GEOS Catchment land surface model. Results obtained with a land-only version of the system indicate that the SCF analysis reduces errors in snow mass and snow depth by ~10% when compared to in situ measurements from the Snow Telemetry (SNOTEL), Canadian historical Snow Water Equivalent dataset (CanSWE), and Global Historical Climatology Network - Daily (GHCN-Daily) networks.

Rolf Reichle↗
NASA NTRS1981

Vegetable crop management with remote sensing

Repetitive aerial photography with color infrared (ACIR) and black-and-white infrared (B and WIR) films was taken of potato and tomato fields in southwest Florida during the spring season of 1975. Color differences observed in the photographs revealed different levels of soil moisture in the fields, improper ditch arrangements, poor stands of plants, and areas where late blight (Phytophthora infestans) (Mont.)d.By and early blight (Alternaria solani) (Ell. and Mart.) Jones and Grout. were defoliating potato plants. Photographs of fields before planting also indicated areas where excessive rock formations existed which would make field preparation costly. Preplanting photographs also pinpointed areas with different water table levels.

Blazquez, C. H.↗