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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 397 records · Page 22

Method of measuring sea surface water temperature with a satellite including wideband passive synthetic-aperture multichannel receiver

A wideband passive synthetic-aperture multichannel receiver with an antenna is mounted on a satellite which travels in an orbit above the Earth passing over large bodies of water, e.g., the Atlantic Ocean. The antenna is scanned to receive signals over a wide frequency band from each incremental surface area (pixel) of the water which are related to the pixel's sea temperature. The received signals are fed to several channels which are tuned to separate selected frequencies. Their outputs are fed to a processor with a memory for storage. As the antenna points to pixels within a calibration area around a buoy of known coordinates, signals are likewise received and stored. Exactly measured sea temperature is received from the buoy. After passing over several calibration areas, a forward stepwise regression analysis is performed to produce an expression which selects the significant from the insignificant channels and assigns weights (coefficients) to them. The expression is used to determine the sea temperature at each pixel based on the signals received therefrom. Wind temperature, pressure, and wind speed at each pixel can also be calculated.

Stacey, J. M.↗

Refinement of an 'alternate' method for measuring heating rates in hypersonic wind tunnels

Recently obtained hypersonic wind tunnel results are presented which resolve the principal uncertainty associated with the use of thin film gages on substrates of the glass ceramic substance designated MACOR.THe uncertainty is with respect to both MACOR's thermal properties and the variation of these properties with temperature. The relatively large influence of shock strength on stagnation point heating at low Reynolds numbers is illustrated.

Miller, C. G.↗

Method of measuring field funneling and range straggling in semiconductor charge-collecting junctions

Electric-field funneling length is measured while irradiating a semiconductor charge-collecting junction with electron-hole-pair generating charged particles at a first junction bias voltage. The bias voltage is then reduced to a second level in order to reduce the depth of the depletion region such that the total charge can no longer be collected by drift and measured in the energy band previously displayed in the multichannel analyzer. This is representative of the maximum electric field funneling length which may be calculated by measuring the difference at the second bias voltage level of the depletion width and the ion penetration range. The bias voltage is further lowered to a third level at which the particles are collected over a spread of energy levels while at least some of the particles are still collected at the selected energy level. From this the different depths of penetration of the particles are determined while additional effects due to diffusion are minimized.

Zoutendyk, J. A.↗

A method of measuring fault latency in a digital flight control system

This paper describes the motivation, conduct, and analysis of some 2500 low-level hardware fault cases applied in automated testing at the NASA Ames Reconfigurable Digital Flight Control System Facility. Fault detection was correlated with hardware and software fault monitoring and, in limited cases, with sensitivity to flight program execution modes. The results are statistically assessed to ascertain system-level reliability implications based on a single-fault model. Extension to multiple-fault models is addressed. The overall methodology/facility itself is judged to be a promising enhancement to current practice.

Mcgough, John↗

A method for measuring temperatures and densities in hypersonic wind tunnel air flows using laser-induced O2 fluorescence

Laser-induced fluorescence in oxygen, in combination with Raman scattering, is shown to be an accurate means by which temperature, density, and their fluctuations due to turbulence can be measured in air flows associated with high-speed wind tunnels. For temperatures above 60 K and densities above 0.01 amagat, the uncertainty in the temperature and density measurements can be less than 2 and 3 percent, respectively, if the signal uncertainties are dominated by photon-statistical noise. The measurements are unaffected by collisional quenching and can be achieved with laser fluences for which nonlinear effects are insignificant. Temperature measurements using laser-induced fluorescence alone have been demonstrated at known densities in the range of low temperatures and densities which are expected in a hypersonic wind tunnel.

Laufer, Gabriel↗

Investigation of test methods for measuring compressive strength and modulus of two-dimensional carbon-carbon composites

An experimental evaluation has been conducted to ascertain the the usefulness of two techniques for measuring in-plane compressive failure strength and modulus in coated and uncoated carbon-carbon composites. The techniques involved testing specimens with potted ends as well as testing them in a novel clamping fixture; specimen shape, length, gage width, and thickness were the test parameters investigated for both coated and uncoated 0/90 deg and +/-45 deg laminates. It is found that specimen shape does not have a significant effect on the measured compressive properties. The potting of specimen ends results in slightly higher measured compressive strengths than those obtained with the new clamping fixture. Comparable modulus values are obtained by both techniques.

Ohlhorst, Craig W.↗

System and method for measuring ocean surface currents at locations remote from land masses using synthetic aperture radar

A system for measuring ocean surface currents from an airborne platform is disclosed. A radar system having two spaced antennas wherein one antenna is driven and return signals from the ocean surface are detected by both antennas is employed to get raw ocean current data which are saved for later processing. There are a pair of global positioning system (GPS) systems including a first antenna carried by the platform at a first location and a second antenna carried by the platform at a second location displaced from the first antenna for determining the position of the antennas from signals from orbiting GPS navigational satellites. Data are also saved for later processing. The saved data are subsequently processed by a ground-based computer system to determine the position, orientation, and velocity of the platform as well as to derive measurements of currents on the ocean surface.

Young, Lawrence E.↗

Method for measuring temperatures and densities in hypersonic wind tunnel air flows using laser-induced O2 fluorescence

Laser-induced fluorescence in oxygen, in combination with Raman scattering, is shown to be an accurate means by which temperature, density, and their fluctuations owing to turbulence can be measured in air flows associated with high-speed wind tunnels. For temperatures above 60 K and densities above 0.01 amagat, the uncertainties in the temperature and density measurements can be less than 2 percent, if the signal uncertainties are dominated by photon statistical noise. The measurements are unaffected by collisional quenching and can be achieved with laser fluences for which nonlinear effects are insignificant. Temperature measurements using laser-induced fluorescence alone have been demonstrated at known densities in the range of low temperatures and densities which are expected in a hypersonic wind tunnel.

Laufer, Gabriel↗

Acoustic device and method for measuring gas densities

Density measurements can be made in a gas contained in a flow through enclosure by measuring the sound pressure level at a receiver or microphone located near a dipole sound source which is driven at constant velocity amplitude at low frequencies. Analytical results, which are provided in terms of geometrical parameters, wave numbers, and sound source type for systems of this invention, agree well with published data. The relatively simple designs feature a transmitter transducer at the closed end of a small tube and a receiver transducer on the circumference of the small tube located a small distance away from the transmitter. The transmitter should be a dipole operated at low frequency with the kL value preferable less that about 0.3.

Shakkottai, Parthasarathy↗

Variable frequency pulsed phase-locked loop method for measuring material nonlinearity

The design of a pressure vessel with an isothermal volume to measure changes in the natural velocities of material continuously over a wide temperature range is reported. Highly sensitive pulsed phase-locked loop technology is used to measure the natural velocity of fatigued aluminum 2024-T4 as a function of pressure at different temperatures. Second derivative variations with respect to pressure and temperature are found to exhibit order-of-magnitude changes at a gauge pressure near 950 kPa at room temperature. This indicates a significant change in certain combinations of second-order and higher-order elastic constants at relatively low pressures. Fractional frequency change as a function of applied pressure for aluminum 2024-T4 with fatigue damage is illustrated.

Yost, William T.↗

Methods for Measuring Temperatures of Thin-walled Gas-turbine Blades

The accuracy and durability of two means for measuring the metal temperature of gas-turbine blades were investigated experimentally in a turbojet engine. Cemented thermocouples that could be placed in walls as thin 0.010 inch and commercial temperature-indicating paints were evaluated at turbine-inlet temperatures up to about 1650 degrees F and for centrifugal forces equivalent to about 42,000 times gravity. The cemented thermocouples operated satisfactorily. The temperature-indicating paints were neither as accurate nor as durable as the cemented thermocouples.

Stepka, Francis S↗