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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 415 records · Page 23
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1990

Amyloplasts as possible statoliths in gravitropic protonemata of the moss Ceratodon purpureus

The kinetics of gravitropism and of amyloplast sedimentation were studied in dark-grown protonemata of the moss Ceratodon purpureus (Hedw.) Brid. The protonemata grew straight up at a rate of 20-25 micromoles h-1 in nutrient-supplemented agar. After they were oriented to the horizontal, upward curvature was first detected after 1-1.5 h and reached 84 degrees by 24 h. The tip cells exhibited an amyloplast zonation, with a tip cluster of non-sedimenting amyloplasts, an amyloplast-free zone, and a zone with pronounced amyloplast sedimentation. This latter zone appears specialized more for lateral than for axial sedimentation since amyloplasts sediment to the lower wall in horizontal protonemata but do not fall to the basal wall in vertical protonemata. Amyloplast sedimentation started within 15 min of gravistimulation; this is within the 12-17-min presentation time. The data support the hypothesis that some amyloplasts function as statoliths in these cells.

NASA Discipline Number 29-20↗
NASA NTRS1984

Planetary geomorphology field studies: Iceland and Antarctica

Field studies of terrestrial landforms and the processes that shape them provide new directions to the study of planetary features. These studies, conducted in Iceland and in Antarctica, investigated physical and chemical weathering mechanisms and rates, eolitan processes, mudflow phenomena, drainage development, and catastrophic fluvial and volcanic phenomena. Continuing investigations in Iceland fall in three main catagories: (1) catastrophic floods of the Jokulsa a Fjollum, (2) lahars associated with explosive volcanic eruptions of Askja caldera, and (3) rates of eolian abrasion in cold, volcanic deserts. The ice-free valleys of Antarctica, in particular those in South Victoria Land, have much is common with the surface of Mars. In addition to providing independent support for the application of the Iceland findings to consideration of the martian erosional system, the Antarctic observations also provide analogies to other martian phenomena. For example, a family of sand dunes in Victoria Valley are stabilized by the incorporation of snow as beds.

Malin, M. C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Radio emission from binary stars

Radio emission from binary star systems; characteristics of the binary systems inferred from the radio observations; and the reasons for the activity are reviewed. Binary stars with two main sequence stars, with one normal star and a white dwarf, and those containing a neutron star or a black hole are described. Energy may be directly available as matter falls into the potential well of a compact object. Electromagnetic induction effects may occur due to relative motions of magnetic fields and matter. By enforcing rapid rotation, binaries can induce strong dynamo action and hence generate free energy in the form of intense, complex, evolving magnetic fields. Whatever the source of energy, the observations at radio and X-ray wavelengths demonstrate that electrons are accelerated to high energies (mildly relativistic and, ultrarelativistic). Observed or inferred radio brightness temperatures range up to 10 to the 15th power K or more, implying coherent emission for sources brighter than 10 billion K.

Dulk, George A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Stirling Converters For Solar Power

Two designs expected to meet long-term goals for performance and cost. Proposed for advanced systems to convert solar thermal power to electrical power. Each system, designed to operate with 11-m-diameter paraboloidal reflector, includes solar-energy receiver, liquid-metal heat-transport subsystem, free-piston Stirling engine, cooling subsystem, alternator or generator coupled directly or indirectly to commercial electric-power system, and control and power-conditioning circuitry. System converts approximately 75 kW of input solar thermal power falling on collector to about 25 kW of output electrical power.

Shaltens, Richard K.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Gravity and the geoid in the Nepal Himalaya

Materials within the Himalaya are rising due to convergence between India and Asia. If the rate of erosion is comparable to the rate of uplift, the mean surface elevation will remain constant. Any slight imbalance in these two processes will lead to growth or attrition of the Himalaya. Although buried rocks, minerals and surface control points in the Himalaya are undoubtably rising, the growth or collapse or the Himalaya depends on the erosion rate which is invisible to geodetic measurements. A way to measure erosion rate is to measure the rate of change of gravity in a region of uplift. Essentially gravity should change precisely in accord with a change in elevation of the point in a free air gradient if erosion equals uplift rate. A measurement of absolute gravity was made simultaneously with measurements of GPS height within the Himalaya. Absolute gravity is estimated from the change in velocity per unit distance of a falling corner cube in a vacuum. Time is measured with an atomic clock and the unit distance corresponds to the wavelength of an iodine stabilized laser. An experiment undertaken in the Himalaya in 1991 provide a site description also with a instrument description.

Bilham, Roger↗
NASA NTRS2011

TPSAS-NF1676L-13712-DND

I was recently tasked to work on an FAA funded task to investigate how the introduction of adaptive systems into air space management or avionics would impact software safety. Talking to control theory experts got a control theory answer, not a software answer and talking to software people got me answers about software in general. In this talk I discuss these two different viewpoints. Where the views of each group fall in the DO-178 process and how the collision of software and control theory cultures showed up when writing a new standard for Model Based Design. Some slides contain opinions and I hope the audience will feel free to respond with their own observations.

Alwyn E Goodloe↗
NASA NTRS2002

Contributions to the AIAA Guidance, Navigation and Control Conference

This report contains six papers presented by the Lincoln Laboratory Air Traffic Control Systems Group at the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA) Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) conference on 6-9 August 2001 in Montreal, Canada. The work reported was sponsored by the NASA Advanced Air Transportation Technologies (AATT) program and the FAA Free Flight Phase 1 (FFP1) program. The papers are based on studies completed at Lincoln Laboratory in collaboration with staff at NASA Ames Research Center. These papers were presented in the Air Traffic Automation Session of the conference and fall into three major areas: Traffic Analysis & Benefits Studies, Weather/Automation Integration and Surface Surveillance. In the first area, a paper by Andrews & Robinson presents an analysis of the efficiency of runway operations at Dallas/Ft. Worth using a tool called PARO, and a paper by Welch, Andrews & Robinson presents a delay benefit results for the Final Approach Spacing Tool (FAST). In the second area, a paper by Campbell, et al describes a new weather distribution systems for the Center/TRACON Automation System (CTAS) that allows ingestion of multiple weather sources, and a paper by Vandevenne, Lloyd & Hogaboom describes the use of the NOAA Eta model as a backup wind data source for CTAS. Also in this area, a paper by Murphy & Campbell presents initial steps towards integrating weather impacted routes into FAST. In the third area, a paper by Welch, Bussolari and Atkins presents an initial operational concept for using surface surveillance to reduce taxi delays.

Campbell, S. D.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Large amplitude drop shape oscillations

An experimental study of large amplitude drop shape oscillation was conducted in immiscible liquids systems and with levitated free liquid drops in air. In liquid-liquid systems the results indicate the existence of familiar characteristics of nonlinear phenomena. The resonance frequency of the fundamental quadrupole mode of stationary, low viscosity Silicone oil drops acoustically levitated in water falls to noticeably low values as the amplitude of oscillation is increased. A typical, experimentally determined relative frequency decrease of a 0.5 cubic centimeters drop would be about 10% when the maximum deformed shape is characterized by a major to minor axial ratio of 1.9. On the other hand, no change in the fundamental mode frequency could be detected for 1 mm drops levitated in air. The experimental data for the decay constant of the quadrupole mode of drops immersed in a liquid host indicate a slight increase for larger oscillation amplitudes. A qualitative investigation of the internal fluid flows for such drops revealed the existence of steady internal circulation within drops oscillating in the fundamental and higher modes. The flow field configuration in the outer host liquid is also significantly altered when the drop oscillation amplitude becomes large.

Trinh, E. H.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Distributions of Beryllium 7 and Lead 210, and Soluble Aerosol-Associated Ionic Species Over the Western Pacific: PEM West B, February - March 1994

Aerosol sampling for the determination of the concentrations of soluble ionic species and the natural radionuclides Be-7 and Pb-210 was conducted from the NASA DC-8 over the western Pacific as part of GTE/PEM-West B during February - March 1994. Concentrations of most soluble ionic species in the free troposphere were higher in samples collected on flights originating from Hong Kong and Japan than those collected further east over the open ocean. In both regions the measured concentrations were higher than those found during PEM-West A (fall 1991). Activities of Pb-210, a tracer of air masses influenced by sources on the Asian continent, showed the same patterns. These data indicate the effect of stronger continental outflow from Asia over the western Pacific during the spring compared to fall season. For readily scavenged aerosol-associated species and soluble acidic gases the strongest indications of Asian outflow were restricted to altitudes below 6 km. The distribution of the continental tracer Pb-210 was also compared to those of a large number of gas phase species measured on the DC-8. Relatively strong correlations were found with O3, and peroxyacetylnitrate (PAN), but only during the flights over the remote Pacific. During PEM-West A, similar correlations were seen, but they were stronger near Asia. We believe that correlations are a signature of continental air that has been processed by deep wet convection over land before being advected over the ocean. One flight over the Sea of Japan provided the opportunity to sample upper troposphere/lower stratosphere air in and around a tropopause fold. Concentrations of Be-7 reached 7 pCi/cu m STP, and peak O3, mixing ratios of 480 ppb were encountered at 10.7 km. The Be-7 data are used to estimate the fraction of stratospheric air mixed down into the troposphere by circulation in the fold.

Dibb, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Distributions of Beryllium 7 and Lead 210, and Soluble Aerosol-Associated Ionic Species Over the Western Pacific: PEM West B

Aerosol sampling for the determination of the concentrations of soluble ionic species and the natural radionuclides Be-7 and Pb-210 was conducted from the NASA DC-8 over the western Pacific as part of GTE/PEM-West B during February - March 1994. Concentrations of most soluble ionic species in the free troposphere were higher in samples collected on flights originating from Hong Kong and Japan than those collected further east over the open ocean. In both regions the measured concentrations were higher than those found during PEM-West A (fall 1991). Activities of Pb-210 tracer of air masses influenced by sources on the Asian continent, showed the same patterns. These data indicate the effect of stronger continental outflow from Asia over the western Pacific during the spring compared to fall season. For readily scavenged aerosol-associated species and soluble acidic gases the strongest indications of Asian outflow were restricted to altitudes below 6 km. The distribution of the continental tracer Pb-210 was also compared to those of a large number of gas phase species measured on the DC-8. Relatively strong correlations were found with O3 and peroxyacetylnitrate (PAN), but only during the flights over the remote Pacific. During PEM-West A, similar correlations were seen, but they were stronger near Asia. We believe that these correlations are a signature of continental air that has been processed by deep wet convection over land before being advected over the ocean. One flight over the Sea of Japan provided the opportunity to sample upper troposphere/lower stratosphere air in and around a tropopause fold. Concentrations of Be-7 reached 7 pCi/cu m STP, and peak O3, mixing ratios of 480 ppb were encountered at 10.7 km. The Be-7 data are used to estimate the fraction of stratospheric air mixed down into the troposphere by circulation in the fold.

Didd, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Clear-Sky Narrowband Albedo Variations Derived from VIRS and MODIS Data

A critical parameter for detecting clouds and aerosols and for retrieving their microphysical properties is the clear-sky radiance. The Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) Project uses the visible (VIS; 0.63 m) and near-infrared (NIR; 1.6 or 2.13 m) channels available on same satellites as the CERES scanners. Another channel often used for cloud and aerosol, and vegetation cover retrievals is the vegetation (VEG; 0.86- m) channel that has been available on the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) for many years. Generally, clear-sky albedo for a given surface type is determined for conditions when the vegetation is either thriving or dormant and free of snow. Snow albedo is typically estimated without considering the underlying surface type. The albedo for a surface blanketed by snow, however, should vary with surface type because the vegetation often emerges from the snow to varying degrees depending on the vertical dimensions of the vegetation. For example, a snowcovered prairie will probably be brighter than a snowcovered forest because the snow typically falls off the trees exposing the darker surfaces while the snow on a grassland at the same temperatures will likely be continuous and, therefore, more reflective. Accounting for the vegetation-induced differences should improve the capabilities for distinguishing snow and clouds over different surface types and facilitate improvements in the accuracy of radiative transfer calculations between the snow-covered surface and the atmosphere, eventually leading to improvements in models of the energy budgets over land. This paper presents a more complete analysis of the CERES spectral clear-sky reflectances to determine the variations in clear-sky top-of-atmosphere (TOA) albedos for both snow-free and snow-covered surfaces for four spectral channels using data from Terra and Aqua.. The results should be valuable for improved cloud retrievals and for modeling radiation fields.

Sun-Mack, Sunny↗
NASA NTRS1995

Rotational And Rovibrational Energy Transfer In Electron Collisions With Molecules

Air flows around a hypervelocity reentry vehicle undergo dissociation, rovibrational excitation and ionization. More specifically the air, initially 80% N2 and 20% O2, in the shock layer consists of species such as N, O, N2, O2, NO, N+, O+, N+, O+, NO+ and 2 free electrons. It was pointed out in multi temperature models'' that the temperature of the rotational energy modes and the gas-kinetic translational temperature are quickly equilibrated by a few collisions and rise rapidly to high temperatures as 50000K before falling off to equilibrium value of 10000K. Contrary, the electronic and vibrational temperatures state energy distributions remain low (less than 15000K) because of the slow equilibration. Electron vibrational energy transfer is thought to play a crucial role in such a ionizing flow regime since chemical reaction rates and dissociation depend strongly on the vibrational temperatures. Modeling of these flowfields in principle require the rovibrational excitation and de-excitation cross section data for average electron energies from threshold up to several eV (leV=11605.4 K). In this lecture we focus on theoretical description of rotational effects i.e. energy transfer of electrons to molecules such that the molecular rotational (vojo goes to voj) or vibrational and rotational (v(sub 0)j(sub 0) goes to vj) states are changed. Excitation and de-excitation of electronic states was discussed in a previous talk at this conference.

Thuemmel, Helmar T.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Equilibrium fluid interface behavior under low- and zero-gravity conditions

We describe here some of our recent mathematical work, which forms a basis for the Interface Configuration Experiment scheduled for USML-2. The work relates to the design of apparatus that exploits microgravity conditions for accurate determination of contact angle. The underlying motivation for the procedures rests on a discontinuous dependence of the capillary free surface interface S on the contact angle gamma, in a cylindrical capillary tube whose section (base) omega contains a protruding corner with opening angle 2 alpha. Specifically, in a gravity-free environment, omega can be chosen so that, for all sufficiently large fluid volume, the height of S is uniquely determined as a (single-valued) function mu(x,y) entirely covering the base; the height mu is bounded over omega uniformly in gamma throughout the range absolute value of (gamma -(pion/2)) less than or equal to alpha, while for absolute value of (gamma - (pion/2)) greater than alpha fluid will necessarily move to the corner and uncover the base, rising to infinity (or falling to negative infinity) at the vertex, regardless of volume. We mention here only that procedures based on the phenomenon promise excellent accuracy when gamma is close pion/2 but may be subject to experimental error when gamma is close to zero (orpion), as the 'singular' part of the domain over which the fluid accumulates (or disappears) when a critical angle gamma theta is crossed then becomes very small and may be difficult to observe. We ignore the trivial case gamma is equal to pion/2 (planar free surface), to simplify the discussion.

Concus, Paul↗
NASA NTRS2014

Automatic Aircraft Collision Avoidance System and Method

The invention is a system and method of compressing a DTM to be used in an Auto-GCAS system using a semi-regular geometric compression algorithm. In general, the invention operates by first selecting the boundaries of the three dimensional map to be compressed and dividing the three dimensional map data into regular areas. Next, a type of free-edged, flat geometric surface is selected which will be used to approximate terrain data of the three dimensional map data. The flat geometric surface is used to approximate terrain data for each regular area. The approximations are checked to determine if they fall within selected tolerances. If the approximation for a specific regular area is within specified tolerance, the data is saved for that specific regular area. If the approximation for a specific area falls outside the specified tolerances, the regular area is divided and a flat geometric surface approximation is made for each of the divided areas. This process is recursively repeated until all of the regular areas are approximated by flat geometric surfaces. Finally, the compressed three dimensional map data is provided to the automatic ground collision system for an aircraft.

Skoog, Mark↗
NASA NTRS2014

Grid Resolution Study over Operability Space for a Mach 1.7 Low Boom External Compression Inlet

This paper presents a statistical methodology whereby the probability limits associated with CFD grid resolution of inlet flow analysis can be determined which provide quantitative information on the distribution of that error over the specified operability range. The objectives of this investigation is to quantify the effects of both random (accuracy) and systemic (biasing) errors associated with grid resolution in the analysis of the Lockheed Martin Company (LMCO) N+2 Low Boom external compression supersonic inlet. The study covers the entire operability space as defined previously by the High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) High Speed Research (HSR) program goals. The probability limits in terms of a 95.0% confidence interval on the analysis data were evaluated for four ARP1420 inlet metrics, namely (1) total pressure recovery (PFAIP), (2) radial hub distortion (DPH/P), (3) ) radial tip distortion (DPT/P), and (4) ) circumferential distortion (DPC/P). In general, the resulting +/-0.95 delta Y interval was unacceptably large in comparison to the stated goals of the HSCT program. Therefore, the conclusion was reached that the "standard grid" size was insufficient for this type of analysis. However, in examining the statistical data, it was determined that the CFD analysis results at the outer fringes of the operability space were the determining factor in the measure of statistical uncertainty. Adequate grids are grids that are free of biasing (systemic) errors and exhibit low random (precision) errors in comparison to their operability goals. In order to be 100% certain that the operability goals have indeed been achieved for each of the inlet metrics, the Y+/-0.95 delta Y limit must fall inside the stated operability goals. For example, if the operability goal for DPC/P circumferential distortion is ≤0.06, then the forecast Y for DPC/P plus the 95% confidence interval on DPC/P, i.e. +/-0.95 delta Y, must all be less than or equal to 0.06.

Grid↗
NASA NTRS1988

Optical addressing technique for a CMOS RAM

Progress on optically addressing a CMOS RAM for a feasibility demonstration of free space optical interconnection is reported in this paper. The optical RAM chip has been fabricated and functional testing is in progress. Initial results seem promising. New design and SPICE simulation of optical gate cell (OGC) circuits have been carried out to correct the slow fall time of the 'weak pull down' OGC, which has been characterized experimentally. Methods of reducing the response times of the photodiodes and the associated circuits are discussed. Even with the current photodiode, it appears that an OGC can be designed with a performance that is compatible with a CMOS circuit such as the RAM.

Wu, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Environmental dynamics at orbital altitudes

The work reported involved the improvement of aerodynamic theory for free molecular and transition flow regimes. The improved theory was applied to interpretation of the dynamic response of objects traveling through the atmosphere. Satellite drag analysis includes analysis methods, atmospheric super rotation effects, and satellite lift effects on orbital dynamics. Transition flow regimes were studied with falling sphere data and errors resulting in inferred atmospheric parameters from falling sphere techniques. Improved drag coefficients reveal considerable error in previous falling sphere data. The drag coefficient has been studied for the entire spectrum of Knudsen Number and speed ratio, with particular emphasis on the theory of the very low-speed ratio regime.

Karr, G. R.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

New Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS REx Curation Facilities at Nasa Johnson Space Center

Asteroids are made up of rocky material that is left over from the formation of our solar system [1]. This material holds the key to unlocking information about the history of the planets and our sun. Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx are two sample return missions that have collected rocky material from carbonaceous asteroids which are rich in water, carbon, and organic compounds [1]. Hayabusa2 is a spacecraft that collected samples from asteroid Ryugu launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Samples were returned to Earth in December 2020 and 10 percent of the collected material is currently housed in a state-of-the-art laboratory at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) dedicated to Ryugu material [1]. OSIRIS-REx is a spacecraft launched by NASA that collected samples from asteroid Bennu. The samples are on their journey to Earth and will arrive in September 2023. They will be stored in a separate cleanroom dedicated to Bennu material. From these two missions, scientists will examine dust particles and rocky material to research clues on how the early solar system formed and how life began [2]. Because these samples are so precious and rare, it is important to keep them free from Earth contamination. In September of 2020, a massive construction project began to provide curation facilities to meet the needs of two incoming asteroid collections, Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx. Despite numerous setbacks caused by the coronavirus pandemic, these facilities have been completed in the fall of 2021. Some of these setbacks included strict PPE requirements, keeping safe working distances as well as access to the facilities as NASA was operating under a Stage 3 condition in response to the pandemic. These facilities will provide curation laboratories to safely house the precious asteroid samples as well as facilities to manipulate samples, do sample preparation and process samples into and out of the labs for future studies by the scientific community. The lab suite consists of several different rooms including an initial anteroom (ISO 7), a staging area (ISO 7), two gowning areas (one for OSIRIS-REx and one for Hayabusa2; both ISO 6)), the Haybusa2 Curation Laboratory (ISO 5), the OSIRIS-REx Curation Laboratory (ISO 5), an ultramicrotomy laboratory (ISO 7) and a thin section laboratory (not a cleanroom). To maintain cleanliness levels necessary for these lab spaces quarterly to monthly Balazs organic and inorganic sampling has been conducted on a regular basis before, during and after the construction project to monitor the cleanliness levels in the new labs that will house the asteroid samples. These new facilities feature a Ruuvi (Grafana) monitoring system that measures temperature, humidity, and pressure of the lab suite. This is a small puck shaped sensor that sends signals to the Grafana cloud where the data can be plotted and set up on dashboards within the lab suite. These sensors are easy to set up and install and they run off a cell battery that is good for 3-5 years before needing replacement. This system can deliver text messages and emails to the appropriate personnel when values fall outside of set limits. In addition to the monitoring system, this new lab suite features viewing windows from several different locations and sliding motion censored doors. We have obtained some state-of-the-art equipment to outfit the lab spaces (desiccators, microscopes, ultramicrotome) and are in the process of outfitting the suite with additional items such as: nitrogen gloveboxes, additional desiccators, micromanipulators, etc. The Hayabusa2 samples provided to NASA by JAXA included 23 millimeter sized grains and 4 containers with finer material. OSIRIS-REx is expected to return as much as 400 grams of asteroid Bennu. Samples will be stored in a nitrogen glove box and separated into nitrogen sealed transfer containers. Small Bennu and Ryugu particles will be handled and prepared (e.g., ultra-thin sections for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) or transmission electron microscopy (TEM)) using an Axis Pro micromanipulator and Leica EM UC7 ultramicrotome. Analyzing samples at the atomic scale will provide greater insight to the origins of the solar system and life formation on Earth. All the curation preparation for these sample collections is essential to ongoing research and efforts to understand our solar system, both nowand for future generations.

Curation↗