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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1999

Process for Making Carbon-Carbon Turbocharger Housing Unit for Intermittent Combustion Engines

An improved. lightweight, turbine housing unit for an intermittent combustion reciprocating internal combustion engine turbocharger is prepared from a lay-up or molding of carbon-carbon composite materials in a single-piece or two-piece process. When compared to conventional steel or cast iron, the use of carbon-carbon composite materials in a turbine housing unit reduces the overall weight of the engine and reduces the heat energy loss used in the turbo-charging process. This reduction in heat energy loss and weight reduction provides for more efficient engine operation.

Northam, G. Burton↗
NASA NTRS1989

Dusty plasmas in the solar system

The processes that lead to charging of dust grains in a plasma are briefly reviewed. Whereas for single grains the results have been long known, the reduction of the average charge on a grain by 'Debye screening' has only recently been discovered. This reduction can be important in the Jovian ring and in the rings of Uranus. The emerging field of gravitoelectrodynamics which deals with the motion of charged grains in a planetary magnetosphere is then reviewed. Important mechanisms for distributing grains in radial distance are due to stochastic fluctuations of the grain charge and a systematic variation due to motion through plasma gradients. The electrostatic levitation model for the formation of spokes is discussed, and it is shown that the radial transport of dust contained in the spokes may be responsible for the rich radial structure in Saturn's rings. Finally, collective effects in dusty plasmas are discussed which affect various waves, such as density waves in planetary rings and low-frequency plasma waves. The possibility of charged grains forming a Coulomb lattice is briefly described.

Goertz, C. K.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Solar electric propulsion thrust beam interactive effects

Interactive effects between ion engine thrust beams and an SEP spacecraft and its science payload have been examined. AC electric contamination from thrust beam potential fluctuations of both 'common mode' and 'point-to-point' forms has been evaluated. Quenching of point-to-point E-fields by both thrust ion and charge exchange ion plasmas is expected. Reduction methods for AC electric contamination from common mode thrust beam potential fluctuations have been developed. Charged particle contamination of ambient space and plasma wave contamination may result from density magnitude and spatial extent of charge exchange plasma plumes. Reduction methods for cone of directions of high angle charge exchange ions have been examined.

Sellen, J. M., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Reduction and scientific analysis of data from the charge-energy-mass (CHEM) spectrometer on the AMPTE/CCE spacecraft

The Charge-Energy-Mass (CHEM) spectrometer instrument on the AMPTE/Charge Composition Explorer (CCE) spacecraft is designed to measure the mass and charge-state abundance of magnetospheric and magnetosheath ions between 0.3 and 315 keV/e, an energy range that includes the bulk of the ring current and the dynamically important portion of the plasma sheet population. Continuing research is being conducted using the AMPTE mission data set, and in particular, that of the CHEM spectrometer which has operated flawlessly since launch and still provides excellent quality data. The requirted routine data processing and reduction, and software develpment continues to be performed. Scientific analysis of composition data in a number of magnetospheric regions including the ring current region, near-earth plasma sheet and subsolar magnetosheath continues to be undertaken. Correlative studies using data from the sister instrument SULEICA, which determines the mass and charge states of ions in the energy range of approximately 10 to 250 keV/e on the IRM, as well as other data from the CCE and IRM spacecraft, particularly in the upstream region and plasma sheet have also been undertaken.

Gloeckler, G.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Electrochemical behavior of niobium triselenide cathode in lithium secondary cells

Niobium triselenide cathodes in Li ambient-temperature rechargeable batteries for space applications undergo a topotactic reaction, with three equivalents of Li at high positive potential furnishing high energy density. It also yields good electronic conductivity, a long life cycle, and high diffusivity for Li. An attempt is presently made to characterize the intercalation mechanism between Li and NbSe3 by means of an ac impedance study conducted at various charge stages in the process of SbSe3 reduction. An effort is also made to predict the charge state of NbSe3 nondestructively, on the basis of the impedance parameters.

Ratnakumar, B. V.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Formation of stored heat by means of bled steam during times of load reduction and its use in peak load times

Technical possibilities and economic advantages of integrating hot water storage systems into power plants fired with fossil fuels are discussed. The systems can be charged during times of load reduction and then used for back-up during peak load periods. Investment costs are higher for such systems than for gas turbine power plants fired with natural gas or light oil installed to meet peak load demand. However, by improving specific heat consumption by about 1,000 kcal/k ohm, which thus reduces the related costs, investment costs will be compensated for, so that power production costs will not increase.

Bitterlich, E.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Reducing Centroid Error Through Model-Based Noise Reduction

A method of processing the digitized output of a charge-coupled device (CCD) image detector has been devised to enable reduction of the error in computed centroid of the image of a point source of light. The method involves model-based estimation of, and correction for, the contributions of bias and noise to the image data. The method could be used to advantage in any of a variety of applications in which there are requirements for measuring precise locations of, and/or precisely aiming optical instruments toward, point light sources. In the present method, prior to normal operations of the CCD, one measures the point-spread function (PSF) of the telescope or other optical system used to project images on the CCD. The PSF is used to construct a database of spot models representing the nominal CCD pixel outputs for a point light source projected onto the CCD at various positions incremented by small fractions of a pixel.

Lee, Shinhak↗
NASA NTRS2015

Impact of Airspace Charges on Transatlantic Aircraft Trajectories

Aircraft flying over the airspace of different countries are subject to over-flight charges. These charges vary from country to country. Airspace charges, while necessary to support the communication, navigation and surveillance services, may lead to aircraft flying routes longer than wind-optimal routes and produce additional carbon dioxide and other gaseous emissions. This paper develops an optimal route between city pairs by modifying the cost function to include an airspace cost whenever an aircraft flies through a controlled airspace without landing or departing from that airspace. It is assumed that the aircraft will fly the trajectory at a constant cruise altitude and constant speed. The computationally efficient optimal trajectory is derived by solving a non-linear optimal control problem. The operational strategies investigated in this study for minimizing aircraft fuel burn and emissions include flying fuel-optimal routes and flying cost-optimal routes that may completely or partially reduce airspace charges en route. The results in this paper use traffic data for transatlantic flights during July 2012. The mean daily savings in over-flight charges, fuel cost and total operation cost during the period are 17.6 percent, 1.6 percent, and 2.4 percent respectively, along the cost- optimal trajectories. The transatlantic flights can potentially save $600,000 in fuel cost plus $360,000 in over-flight charges daily by flying the cost-optimal trajectories. In addition, the aircraft emissions can be potentially reduced by 2,070 metric tons each day. The airport pairs and airspace regions that have the highest potential impacts due to airspace charges are identified for possible reduction of fuel burn and aircraft emissions for the transatlantic flights. The results in the paper show that the impact of the variation in fuel price on the optimal routes is to reduce the difference between wind-optimal and cost-optimal routes as the fuel price increases. The additional fuel consumption is quantified using the 30 percent variation in fuel prices during March 2014 to March 2015.

aircraft scheduling↗
NASA NTRS1976

The effect of changes in the USF/NASA toxicity screening test method on data from some cellular polymers

Rankings of relative toxicity can be markedly affected by changes in test variables. Revision of the USF/NASA toxicity screening test procedure to eliminate the connecting tube and supporting floor and incorporate a 1.0 g sample weight, 200 C starting temperature, and 800 C upper limit temperature for pyrolysis, reversed the rankings of flexible polyurethane and polychloroprene foams, not only in relation to each other, but also in relation to cotton and red oak. Much of the change is attributed to reduction of the distance between the sample and the test animals, and reduction of the sample weight charged. Elimination of the connecting tube increased the relative toxicity of the polyurethane foams. The materials tested were flexible polyurethane foam, without and with fire retardant; rigid polyurethane foam with fire retardant; flexible polychloroprene foam; cotton, Douglas fir, red oak, hemlock, hardboard, particle board, polystyrene, and polymethyl methacrylate.

Hilado, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Fundamental studies on the metal chloride cathodes in sodium batteries

The authors report studies of the passivation of the NiCl2 electrode during reduction, its effect on the electrochemical rate kinetics for the reduction, and its dependence on the state of charge of the electrode. NiCl2 exhibits passive behavior more readily at lower states of charge due to a decrease in the electrochemical area, resulting from NaCl deposited during reduction. The passive behavior is evident from the DC polarization curves as well as AC impedance plots at the same potentials, implying a correlation between them. The results of the studies are presented in detail.

Ratnakumar, B. V.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Charge-coupled device for low background observations

A charge-coupled device with a low-emissivity metal layer located between a sensing layer and a substrate provides reduction in ghost images. In a typical charge-coupled device of a silicon sensing layer, a silicon dioxide insulating layer, with a glass substrate and a metal carrier layer, a near-infrared photon, not absorbed in the first pass, enters the glass substrate, reflects from the metal carrier, thereby returning far from the original pixel in its entry path. The placement of a low-emissivity metal layer between the glass substrate and the sensing layer reflects near infrared photons before they reach the substrate so that they may be absorbed in the silicon nearer the pixel of their points of entry so that the reflected ghost image is coincident with the primary image for a sharper, brighter image.

Loh, Edwin D.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Spacecraft Charging in Low Temperature Environments

Spacecraft charging in plasma and radiation environments is a temperature dependent phenomenon due to the reduction of electrical conductivity in dielectric materials at low temperatures. Charging time constants are proportional to l/conductivity may become very large (on the order of days to years) at low temperatures and accumulation of charge densities in insulators in charging environments traditionally considered benign at ambient temperatures may be sufficient to produce charge densities and electric fields of concern in insulators at low temperatures. Low temperature charging is of interest because a number of spacecraft-primarily infrared astronomy and microwave cosmology observatories-are currently being design, built, and or operated at very cold temperatures on the order of 40K to 100K. This paper reviews the temperature dependence of spacecraft charging processes and material parameters important to charging as a function of temperature with an emphasis on low temperatures regimes.

Parker, Linda N.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Assessment of flywheel energy storage for spacecraft power systems

The feasibility of inertial energy storage in a spacecraft power system is evaluated on the basis of a conceptual integrated design that encompasses a composite rotor, magnetic suspension, and a permanent magnet (PM) motor/generator for a 3-kW orbital average payload at a bus distribution voltage of 250 volts dc. The conceptual design, which evolved at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), is referred to as a Mechanical Capacitor. The baseline power system configuration selected is a series system employing peak-power-tracking for a Low Earth-Orbiting application. Power processing, required in the motor/generator, provides a potential alternative configurations that can only be achieved in systems with electrochemical energy storage by the addition of power processing components. One such alternative configuration provides for peak-power-tracking of the solar array and still maintains a regulated bus, without the expense of additional power processing components. Precise speed control of the two counterrotating wheels is required to reduce interaction with the attitude control system (ACS) or alternatively, used to perform attitude control functions. Critical technologies identified are those pertaining to the energy storage element and are prioritized as composite wheel development, magnetic suspension, motor/generator, containment, and momentum control. Comparison with a 3-kW, 250-Vdc power system using either NiCd or NiH2 for energy storage results in a system in which inertial energy storage offers potential advantages in lifetime, operating temperature, voltage regulation, energy density, charge control, and overall system weight reduction.

Rodriguez, G. E.↗
NASA NTRS1986

A double layer model for solar X-ray and microwave pulsations

The wide range of wavelengths over which quasi-periodic pulsations have been observed suggests that the mechanism causing them acts upon the supply of high energy electrons driving the emission processes. A model is described which is based upon the radial shrinkage of a magnetic flux tube. The concentration of the current, along with the reduction in the number of available charge carriers, can rise to a condition where the current demand exceeds the capacity of the thermal electrons. Driven by the large inductance of the external current circuit, an instability takes place in the tube throat, resulting in the formation of a potential double layer, which then accelerates electrons and ions to MeV energies. The double layer can be unstable, collapsing and reforming repeatedly. The resulting pulsed particle beams give rise to pulsating emission which are observed at radio and X-ray wavelengths.

Tapping, K. F.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Large molecules in diffuse interstellar clouds

The effects of the presence of a substantial component of large molecules on the chemistry of diffuse molecular clouds are explored, and detailed models of the zeta Persei and zeta Ophiuchi clouds are constructed. The major consequence is a reduction in the abundances of singly charged atomic species. The long-standing discrepancy between cloud densities inferred from rotational and fine-structure level populations and from the ionization balance can be resolved by postulating a fractional abundance of large molecules of 1 x 10 to the -7th for zeta Persei and 6 x 10 to the -7th for zeta Ophiuchi. If the large molecules are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) containing about 50 carbon atoms, they contain 1 percent of the carbon in zeta Persei and 7 percent in zeta Ophiuchi. Other consequences of the possible presence of PAH molecules are discussed.

Lepp, S.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The NASA Radiation Health Program

The NASA program for determining the impact of cosmic radiation on health is described in terms of its long-term goal of reducing the uncertainty of radiation-model prediction to +/- 25 percent by 2010. The Space Radiation Health Program (SRHP) is intended to address fundamental issues for establishing a scientific basis for human radiation protection: (1) the prediction of the probability of biological effects from radiation; (2) the reduction of uncertainty in predicted highly charged energetic particles; and (3) the characterization of background flux from Galactic cosmic rays. Another key objective is to develop related technologies for ground- and space-based solar monitoring to predict events involving solar energetic particles. Although substantial uncertainties are involved in the prediction of such events, the SRHP is essential for determining crucial variables related to launching mass and humans into orbit.

Nicogossian, A. E.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Design considerations in the creation and maintenance of electrostatic cleanliness for solar electrically propelled spacecraft

Charge build-up on spacecraft surfaces and resulting zones of electrostatic contamination have been examined for electrically active and electrically passive spacecraft with both conducting and dielectric surface materials, illuminated and nonilluminated surface conditions, and for both inclusion and neglect of free charge effects from photocurrents and ambient space plasma particles. Techniques for measurement and reduction of electrostatic contamination zone extent have been developed for spacecraft with charge release capability. Indicated limitations for contamination cleanup are about 1 volt potential variation from spacecraft to ambient plasma. Bandwidths of electrostatic monitoring and clamping devices extend to several hundred kilohertz for both DC and 'broadband' AC electrostatic cleanliness.

Sellen, J. M., Jr.↗