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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 37 records · Page 2

Radar target for remotely sensing hydrological phenomena

An apparatus for remotely measuring and accessing water status relative to snow and glacial melt, surface runoff, rainfall, evaporation, flow rate, and soil moisture is described. A radar target located at a selected location on the surface of the Earth is designed to collect water and render its cross sectional area variable as a function of the height of the water level within the target. The target is remotely monitored by an orbiting or airborne synthetic aperature radar. The target appears as a bright spot embedded within the radar image. The target brightness is indicative of the height of the water level within the ground located target.

Sivertson, W. E., Jr.↗

Reduction of unsteady wind torques on an open port airborne optical turret

Techniques for reducing the unsteady torques acting on the inner gimbal of a turret were developed. The reductions in the unsteady torques were obtained by using fixes that alter undesirable flow characteristics or change the acoustic properties of the turret cavity. These fixes were designed to be used in the subsonic and transonic flow regimes. The flow field about the turret generally three dimensional and turbulent, and shock waves formed because of the rapid acceleration of the compressible gas about the blunt turret. The situation was further complicated by the presence of the cavity flow, and the fact that the mouth of the cavity must sweep through a wide angular variation relative to the direction of the freestream. Results indicate that significant reductions of the unsteady pressures measured in the turret cavity could be obtained by the use of porous wind screens around the aperature of the cavity mouth.

Thomas, J. P., Jr.↗

An introduction to the interim digital SAR processor and the characteristics of the associated Seasat SAR imagery

Basic engineering data regarding the Interim Digital SAR Processor (IDP) and the digitally correlated Seasat synthetic aperature radar (SAR) imagery are presented. The correlation function and IDP hardware/software configuration are described, and a preliminary performance assessment presented. The geometric and radiometric characteristics, with special emphasis on those peculiar to the IDP produced imagery, are described.

Wu, C.↗

Dipole-Excited Ring Antenna

Dipole radiator drives ring radiator in compact C-band antenna. Antenna can be mounted flush with surface. Compared with horn or parabolic dish with same aperature, new ring antenna has greater gain, lower side lobes, and narrower beam width. Used on vehicles requiring flush-mounted antennas with very directive signals. Used as radar altimeter antenna for aircraft.

Ellis, H., Jr↗

Temporal Aperture Modulation

The two types of modulation techniques useful to X-ray imaging are reviewed. The use of optimum coded temporal aperature modulation is shown, in certain cases, to offer an advantage over a spatial aperture modulator. Example applications of a diffuse anisotropic X-ray background experiment and a wide field of view hard X-ray imager are discussed.

Proctor, R. J.↗

NASA space system technology model future mission system needs

The overall technology model is outlined and the objectives and descriptions of the primary and secondary propulsion drives presented. The primary propulsion driver missions are the geostationary platform; the coherent optical system of modular imaging collectors (COSMIC); the 100 meter thinned aperature telescope; and the orbiting deep space relay station (ODSRS). The secondary propulsion driver missions are space platform alpha, the space station, and the automated planetary station.

Reese, T. G.↗

Lenseless Scanning Telescope

Dual-aperture device minimizes aliasing. Radiometer scans at right angles to line of flight, giving complete coverage from horizon to horizon. Configurations include use of detector as inner aperature or use of concentrating lens in or behind inner aperture to image outer aperture on smaller detector.

Edwards, H. B.↗

Radar for Mapping Sea Ice

X-band system has 100-m2 resolution. Wide swath imaging radar of synthetic aperature type transmits signal to ground station for subsequent processing into imagery. Concept meets functional requirements for continuously mapping sea ice in north and south polar regions.

Barath, F. T.↗

Multispectral Dual-Aperture Schmidt Objective

Off-axis focal planes make room for beam splitters. System includes two off-axis primary spherical reflectors, each concentric with refractive corrector at aperature. Off-axis design assures large aperture required for adequate spatial resolution. Separate images have precise registration, used for multispectral resource mapping or remote sensing.

Minott, P. O.↗

Digital SAR Processor

Produces real-time, single-look, high-resolution imagery. Digital synthetic-aperature-radar (SAR) processor achieves rate of 4 million samples per second. System combines frequency-domain and time-domain processing for two-dimensional azimuth correlation.

Wu, C.↗

Testing Large Solar Mirrors

Mirror figure evaluated in terms of imaging properties. Equipment includes scanner for measuring irradiance distribution in solar image produced by gore and camera equipped with special aperatures for determining magnitude and location of figure errors on gores.

Argoud, M. J.↗

Aerothermal modeling program

Some significant features of the approach adopted for the combustor aerothermal modeling program are described. The individual computerized models utilized in the aero design approach are characterized. The preliminary design module provides the overall envelope definition of the burner. The diffuser module provides the detailed contours of the diffuser and combustor cowl region, as well as the pressure loss characteristics into each of the individual flow passages into the dome and around the combustor. The flow distribution module provides the air entry quantities through each of the aperatures and the overall pressure drop. The heat transfer module provides detailed metal temperature distribution throughout the metal structure as input to stress and life analysis that are not part of the aerothermo design effort. Finally, the internal flow module, INTFLOW, is described and the approach for model evaluation using laboratory data is discussed.

Kenworthy, M.↗

Oxygen recombination in individual pressure vessel nickel-hydrogen batteries

A metal-hydrogen cell is described which avoids damage and retards flooding of the hydrogen electrodes by providing for chemical recombination of oxygen and hydrogen in areas or sites remote from the hydrogen electrodes. In the metal-hydrogen cell, a plurality of electrical cell units are place in a back to back relationship. The cells may be lined with a wick, having one or more catalyzed sites on the inner surface of the cell. Separators disposed between the respective metal and hydrogen electrodes of each cell unit are provided with gas directing notches around their peripheries to facilitate the desired movement of gasses within the metal-hydrogen cell. Any two metal electrodes separated by a gas screen are provided with gas tight sealing means between the electrodes at each aperature. The sealing means may be a fing of rubber or elastomeric material which is somewhat compressible but nonreactive with other materials in the cell.

Smithrick, J. J.↗

ERS-1 SAR data processing

To take full advantage of the synthetic aperature radar (SAR) to be flown on board the European Space Agency's Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS-1) (1989) and the Canadian Radarsat (1990), the implementation of a receiving station in Alaska is being studied to gather and process SAR data pertaining in particular to regions within the station's range of reception. The current SAR data processing requirement is estimated to be on the order of 5 minutes per day. The Interim Digital Sar Processor (IDP) which was under continual development through Seasat (1978) and SIR-B (1984) can process slightly more than 2 minutes of ERS-1 data per day. On the other hand, the Advanced Digital SAR Processore (ADSP), currently under development for the Shuttle Imaging Radar C (SIR-C, 1988) and the Venus Radar Mapper, (VMR, 1988), is capable of processing ERS-1 SAR data at a real time rate. To better suit the anticipated ERS-1 SAR data processing requirement, both a modified IDP and an ADSP derivative are being examined. For the modified IDP, a pipelined architecture is proposed for the mini-computer plus array processor arrangement to improve throughout. For the ADSP derivative, a simplified version is proposed to enhance ease of implementation and maintainability while maintaing real time throughput rates. These processing systems are discussed and evaluated.

Leung, K.↗

Forest biomass, canopy structure, and species composition relationships with multipolarization L-band synthetic aperture radar data

The effect of forest biomass, canopy structure, and species composition on L-band synthetic aperature radar data at 44 southern Mississippi bottomland hardwood and pine-hardwood forest sites was investigated. Cross-polarization mean digital values for pine forests were significantly correlated with green weight biomass and stand structure. Multiple linear regression with five forest structure variables provided a better integrated measure of canopy roughness and produced highly significant correlation coefficients for hardwood forests using HV/VV ratio only. Differences in biomass levels and canopy structure, including branching patterns and vertical canopy stratification, were important sources of volume scatter affecting multipolarization radar data. Standardized correction techniques and calibration of aircraft data, in addition to development of canopy models, are recommended for future investigations of forest biomass and structure using synthetic aperture radar.

Sader, Steven A.↗

Advanced satellite system architecture for VSATs with ISDN compatibility

This paper describes a future communications satellite system architecture concept which allows the use of Very Small Aperature Terminals (VSATs) of 1.2 m to 1.8 m diameter and which provides access according to the international Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) standard. This satellite system design could make dial-up integrated voice and data service available nationwide and perhaps worldwide. The paper gives a conceptual system design based on the year 1995 technology for the communications satellite, the earth terminal, and the ground-based master control station and interface to the terrestrial ISDN network.

Jorasch, Ronald E.↗

Tests of a multichannel photometer based on silicon diode detectors

A breadboard photometer was constructed that demonstrates a precision of 2 times 10 to the 4th power in the laboratory and scintillation-limited performance when used with an 0.5 m aperture telescope. Because the detectors and preamps are not cooled, only stars with m sub v approx. less than 4 are bright enough to allow the photometer to attain a precision of 1 times 10 to the 3rd power for three minute observations with an 0.5 m aperature telescope. Cooling the telescope should allow much fainter stars to be observed. Increasing the aperture of the telescope will allow higher precision and the observation of fainter stars.

Borucki, William J.↗