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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 487 records · Page 27
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1987

Insights into the general circulation of the lower stratosphere from TOMS

Total ozone is controlled by dynamical advection as well as chemistry. At least for day-to-day variations, dynamical processes appear to be in control of total ozone. There also appears to be good evidence that seasonal and secular changes in total ozone are also dynamically controlled. For example, the zonal mean changes in total ozone in the two hemispheres in spring appear to be quite different. The TOMS total ozone data suggest a south polar spring upwelling while the Northern Hemisphere shows a clear downwelling in the same period. Radiative transfer computations support this conclusion. The secular changes in total ozone over the South Pole in spring indicate a change in dynamics rather than chemistry.

Schoeberl, Mark R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A ground track control algorithm for the Topographic Mapping Laser Altimeter (TMLA)

The results of an analysis of an algorithm that will provide autonomous onboard orbit control using orbits determined with Global Positioning System (GPS) data. The algorithm uses the GPS data to (1) compute the ground track error relative to a fixed longitude grid, and (2) determine the altitude adjustment required to correct the longitude error. A program was written on a personal computer (PC) to test the concept for numerous altitudes and values of solar flux using a simplified orbit model including only the J sub 2 zonal harmonic and simple orbit decay computations. The algorithm was then implemented in a precision orbit propagation program having a full range of perturbations. The analysis showed that, even with all perturbations (including actual time histories of solar flux variation), the algorithm could effectively control the spacecraft ground track and yield more than 99 percent Earth coverage in the time required to complete one coverage cycle on the fixed grid (220 to 230 days depending on altitude and overlap allowance).

Blaes, V.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Converging Climate Sensitivities of European Forests Between Observed Radial Tree Growth and Vegetation Models

The impacts of climate variability and trends on European forests are unevenly distributed across different bioclimatic zones and species. Extreme climate events are also becoming more frequent and it is unknown how they will affect feed backs of CO2 between forest ecosystems and the atmosphere. An improved understanding of species differences at the regional scale of the response of forest productivity to climate variation and extremes is thus important for forecasting forest dynamics. In this study, we evaluate the climate sensitivity of above ground net primary production (NPP) simulated by two dynamic global vegetation models (DGVM; ORCHIDEE and LPJ-wsl) against tree ring width (TRW) observations from about1000 sites distributed across Europe. In both the model simulations and the TRW observations, forests in northern Europe and the Alps respond positively to warmer spring and summer temperature, and their overall temperature sensitivity is larger than that of the soil-moisture-limited forests in central Europe and Mediterranean regions. Compared with TRW observations, simulated NPP from ORCHIDEE and LPJ-wsl appear to be overly sensitive to climatic factors. Our results indicate that the models lack biological processes that control time lags, such as carbohydrate storage and remobilization, that delay the effects of radial growth dynamics to climate. Our study highlights the need for re-evaluating the physiological controls on the climate sensitivity of NPP simulated by DGVMs. In particular, DGVMs could be further enhanced by a more detailed representation of carbon reserves and allocation that control year-to year variation in plant growth.

Zhang, Zhen↗
NASA NTRS1994

Comment on 'Guidance for an Aerocapture Maneuver

It is stated that the aerodynamic forces on the vehicle being aerocaptured are controlled by "altering the angle of attack" and thereby controlling the lift coefficient. Furthermore, the resulting variation of drag coefficient with angle of attack was ignored. The purpose of this Comment is to point out that an aerodynamic control method that is much more effective than the pitch modulation has been studied and utilized during entries for many years. During aerocapture, it is desirable to have a large range of lift coefficients available, while keeping the vehicle's ballistic coefficients constant. This is accomplished by modulating the vehicle's bank angle, i.e., by rolling the vehicle about its velocity vector. By this method, the angle of attack can be held constant (at the trim angle, if desired), and the C(sub D) and the ballistic coefficient remain constant. Furthermore, the vertical component of the normal force vector (essentially the lift) can be varied over its entire range, from maximum positive to maximum negative values. Reaction controls, rather than aerodynamic ones, are usually utilized to change the bank angle of the vehicle, thus requiring the use of fuel. However, the fuel expenditure that is required to change the bank angle is far less than the amount that would have to be used to continuously hold the vehicle at pitch angles that differ significantly from its trim angle of attack. Also, it has been shown that bank angle modulation to vary the lift can enlarge the entry corridor by increasing the entry angle for the undershoot boundary, where both the heating rate and deceleration reach a maximum. Finally, the crew's deceleration tolerance can be increased somewhat when the bank angle is varied, as opposed to the pitch angle. For bank modulation, the deceleration force vector can be kept at a constant angle with respect to the occupants whose tolerance to g loads is highest when the force is applied in a direction normal to the upper torso. The advantages of bank angle variation to modulate the lift vector were recognized long ago, and this method of control was used successfully on the Apollo command module during lunar return' and, more recently, for the Space Shuttle Orbiter.

Tauber, Michael E.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Definitive Assessment of the Accuracy, Variationality, and Convergence of Relativistic Coupled Cluster and Density Matrix Renormalization Group in 100-Orbital Space

Accuracy, variationality, and convergence underpin the reliability of modern electronic structure methods, yet definitive benchmarks in the relativistic regime remain elusive due to the absence of numerically exact full configuration interaction (CI) references. Recent algorithmic advances in the CI framework, enabled by the small-tensor-product (STP) decomposition approach, have dramatically extended the tractable size of the configuration space, making numerically exact CI calculations feasible in large active spaces previously beyond reach. In this paper, we employ the recently developed STP-CI framework to perform large-scale numerically exact CI calculations and directly benchmark relativistic coupled cluster and density matrix renormalization group methods. Definitive benchmarking of approximate relativistic electronic structure methods is ensured through the application of the gap theorem, which provides rigorous error bounds on the CI reference and establishes a controlled standard for assessing accuracy, variationality, and convergence.

Chemical calculations↗
NASA NTRS2007

Coronas-F Orbit Monitoring and Re-Entry Prediction

Russian scientific satellite CORONAS-F was launched on July, 31, 2001. The object was inserted in near-circular orbit with the inclination 82.5deg and a mean altitude approx. 520 km. Due to the upper atmosphere drag CORONAS-F was permanently descended and as a result on December, 6, 2005 it has finished the earth-orbital flight, having lifetime in space approx. 4.5 years. The satellite structural features and its flight attitude control led to the significant variations of its ballistic coefficient during the flight. It was a cause of some specific difficulties in the fulfillment of the ballistic and navigation support of this space vehicle flight. Besides the main mission objective CORONAS-F also has been selected by the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) as a target object for the next regular international re-entry test campaign on a program of surveillance and re-entry prediction for the hazard space objects within their de-orbiting phases. Spacecraft (S/C) CORONAS-F kept its working state right up to the end of the flight - down to the atmosphere entry. This fact enabled to realization of the additional research experiments, concerning with an estimation of the atmospheric density within the low earth orbits (LEO) of the artificial satellites, and made possible to continue track the S/C during final phase of its flight by means of Russian regular command & tracking system, used for it control. Thus there appeared a unique possibility of using for tracking S/C at its de-orbiting phase not only passive radar facilities, belonging to the space surveillance systems and traditionally used for support of the IADC re-entry test campaigns, but also more precise active trajectory radio-tracking facilities from the ground control complex (GCC) applied for this object. Under the corresponding decision of the Russian side such capability of additional high-precise tracking control of the CORONAS-F flight in this period of time has been implemented. The organizing of the CORONAS-F ballistic and navigational support (BNS) and solving its main tasks (such as S/C orbit determination (OD) and its motion prediction and connected with them) both for regular mission stage and for additional flight program were realized by the group of specialists from the Mission Control Center (MCC). MCC was also assigned as a principal organization from the Russian side for participation in the 7th IADC re-entry test campaign on CORONAS-F. The CORONAS-F flight features and space environments circumstances during its flight as well as a methodology and technology of spacecraft ballistic and navigational support are given below. The BNS results for different phases of S/C flight, including the results of its re-entry predictions, obtained during the realization of the 7th IADC test campaign are submitted. The accuracy of space vehicle re-entry prediction and its dependence on various factors are analyzed in more details.

Ivanov, N. M.↗
NASA NTRS2005

High-Temperature Piezoelectric Ceramic Developed

Active combustion control of spatial and temporal variations in the local fuel-to-air ratio is of considerable interest for suppressing combustion instabilities in lean gas turbine combustors and, thereby, achieving lower NOx levels. The actuator for fuel modulation in gas turbine combustors must meet several requirements: (1) bandwidth capability of 1000 Hz, (2) operating temperature compatible with the fuel temperature, which is in the vicinity of 400 F, (3) stroke of approximately 4 mils (100 m), and (4) force of 300 lb-force. Piezoelectric actuators offer the fastest response time (microsecond time constants) and can generate forces in excess of 2000 lb-force. The state-of-the-art piezoceramic material in industry today is Pb(Zr,Ti)O3, called PZT. This class of piezoelectric ceramic is currently used in diesel fuel injectors and in the development of high-response fuel modulation valves. PZT materials are generally limited to operating temperatures of 250 F, which is 150 F lower than the desired operating temperature for gas turbine combustor fuel-modulation injection valves. Thus, there is a clear need to increase the operating temperature range of piezoceramic devices for active combustion control in gas turbine engines.

Sayir, Ali↗
NASA NTRS2003

Review of Laser Ablation Process for Single Wall Carbon Nanotube Production

Different types of lasers are now routinely used to prepare single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). The original method developed by researchers at Rice University utilized a "double pulse laser oven" process. A graphite target containing about 1 atomic percent of metal catalysts is ablated inside a 1473K oven using laser pulses (10 ns pulse width) in slow flowing argon. Two YAG lasers with a green pulse (532 nm) followed by an IR pulse (1064 nm) with a 50 ns delay are used for ablation. This set up produced single wall carbon nanotube material with about 70% purity having a diameter distribution peaked around 1.4 nm. The impurities consist of fullerenes, metal catalyst clusters (10 to 100 nm diameter) and amorphous carbon. The rate of production with the initial set up was about 60 mg per hour with 10Hz laser systems. Several researchers have used variations of the lasers to improve the rate, consistency and study effects of different process parameters on the quality and quantity of SWCNTs. These variations include one to three YAG laser systems (Green, Green and IR), different pulse widths (nano to microseconds as well as continuous) and different laser wavelengths (Alexandrite, CO, CO2, free electron lasers in the near to far infrared). It is noted that yield from the single laser (Green or IR) systems is only a fraction of the two laser systems. The yield seemed to scale up with the repetition rate of the laser systems (10 to 60 Hz) and depended on the beam uniformity and quality of the laser pulses. The shift to longer wavelength lasers (free electron, CO and CO2) did not improve the quality, but increased the rate of production because these lasers are either continuous (CW) or high repetition rate pulses (kHz to MHz). The average power and the peak power of the lasers seem to influence the yields. Very high peak powers (MegaWatts per square centimeter) are noted to increase ablation of bigger particles with reduced yields of SWCNTs. Increased average powers seem to help the conversion of the carbon from target into vapor phase to improve formation of nanotubes. The use of CW far infrared lasers reduced the need for the oven, at the expense of controlled ablation. Some of these variations are tried with different combinations and concentrations of metal catalysts (Nickel with Cobalt, Iron, Palladium and Platinum) different buffer gases (e.g. Helium); with different oven temperatures (Room temperature to 1473K); under different flow conditions (1 to 1000 kPa) and even different porosities of the graphite targets. It is to be noted that the original Cobalt and Nickel combination worked best, possibly because of improved carbonization with stable crystalline phases. The mean diameter and yield seemed to increase with increasing oven temperatures. Thermal conductivity of the buffer gas and flow conditions dictate the quality as well as quantity of the SWCNTs. Faster flows, lower pressures and heavier gases seem to increase the yields. This review will attempt to cover all these variations and their relative merits. Possible growth mechanisms under these different conditions will also be discussed.

Arepalli, Sivaram↗
NASA NTRS1993

Robust integrated flight/propulsion control design for a STOVL aircraft using H-infinity control design techniques

Results are presented from an application of H-infinity control design methodology to a centralized integrated flight/propulsion control (IFPC) system design for a supersonic STOVL fighter aircraft in transition flight. The emphasis is on formulating the H-infinity optimal control synthesis problem such that the critical requirements for the flight and propulsion systems are adequately reflected within the linear, centralized control problem formulation and the resulting controller provides robustness to modeling uncertainties and model parameter variations with flight condition. Detailed evaluation results are presented for a reduced order controller obtained from the improved H-infinity control design showing that the control design meets the specified nominal performance objective as well as provides stability robustness for variations in plant system dynamics with changes in aircraft trim speed within the transition flight envelope.

Garg, Sanjay↗
NASA NTRS2001

Integral Twist Actuation of Helicopter Rotor Blades for Vibration Reduction

Active integral twist control for vibration reduction of helicopter rotors during forward flight is investigated. The twist deformation is obtained using embedded anisotropic piezocomposite actuators. An analytical framework is developed to examine integrally-twisted blades and their aeroelastic response during different flight conditions: frequency domain analysis for hover, and time domain analysis for forward flight. Both stem from the same three-dimensional electroelastic beam formulation with geometrical-exactness, and axe coupled with a finite-state dynamic inflow aerodynamics model. A prototype Active Twist Rotor blade was designed with this framework using Active Fiber Composites as the actuator. The ATR prototype blade was successfully tested under non-rotating conditions. Hover testing was conducted to evaluate structural integrity and dynamic response. In both conditions, a very good correlation was obtained against the analysis. Finally, a four-bladed ATR system is built and tested to demonstrate its concept in forward flight. This experiment was conducted at NASA Langley T~ansonic Dynamics Tunnel and represents the first-of-a-kind Mach-scaled fully-active-twist rotor system to undergo forward flight test. In parallel, the impact upon the fixed- and rotating-system loads is estimated by the analysis. While discrepancies are found in the amplitude of the loads under actuation, the predicted trend of load variation with respect to its control phase correlates well. It was also shown, both experimentally and numerically, that the ATR blade design has the potential for hub vibratory load reduction of up to 90% using individual blade control actuation. Using the numerical framework, system identification is performed to estimate the harmonic transfer functions. The linear time-periodic system can be represented by a linear time-invariant system under the three modes of blade actuation: collective, longitudinal cyclic, and lateral cyclic. A vibration minimizing controller is designed based on this result, which implements classical disturbance rejection algorithm with some modifications. The controller is simulated numerically, and more than 90% of the 4P hub vibratory load is eliminated. By accomplishing the experimental and analytical steps described in this thesis, the present concept is found to be a viable candidate for future generation low-vibration helicopters. Also, the analytical framework is shown to be very appropriate for exploring active blade designs, aeroelastic behavior prediction, and as simulation tool for closed-loop controllers.

Shin, SangJoon↗
NASA NTRS1991

Factors controlling lava dome morphology

Research suggests that variations in lava dome morphology on different planets will depend much more critically on local gravity and the style of eruption than on the magma composition, ambient temperature, or the relative roles of convective and radiative cooling. Eruption style in turn reflects differences in tectonic conditions and the ability of magma to exsolve volatiles. Observed crude correlations between silica content and calculated yield strengths for terrestrial lava flows and domes probably are do to differences in extrusion rate and volatile solubility, rather than intrinsic rheological properties. Thus, even after taking the known effect of gravity into account, observed differences in gross dome morphology on different planets cannot by themselves be directly related to composition. Additional information such as the distribution of surface textures and structures, or spectroscopic data will be needed to conclusively establish dome compositions.

Fink, Jonathan↗
NASA NTRS2010

Application of OMI Observations to a Space-Based Indicator of NOx and VOC Controls on Surface Ozone Formation

We investigated variations in the relative sensitivity of surface ozone formation in summer to precursor species concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) as inferred from the ratio of the tropospheric columns of formaldehyde to nitrogen dioxide (the "Ratio") from the Aura Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). Our modeling study suggests that ozone formation decreases with reductions in VOCs at Ratios less than 1 and NOx at Ratios greater than 2; both NOx and VOC reductions may decrease ozone formation for Ratios between 1 and 2. Using this criteria. the OMI data indicate that ozone formation became: 1. more sensitive to NOx over most of the United States from 2005 to 2007 because of the substantial decrease in NOx emissions, primarily from stationary sources, and the concomitant decrease in the tropospheric column of NO2. and 2. more sensitive to NOx with increasing temperature, in part because emissions of highly reactive, biogenic isoprene increase with temperature, thus increasing the total VOC reactivity. In cities with relatively low isoprene emissions (e.g .. Chicago). the data clearly indicate that ozone formation became more sensitive to NOx from 2005 to 2007. In cities with relatively high isoprene emissions (e.g ., Atlanta), we found that the increase in the Ratio due to decreasing NOx emissions was not obvious as this signal was convolved with variations in the Ratio associated with the temperature dependence of isoprene emissions and, consequently, the formaldehyde concentration.

Duncan, Bryan N.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Feasibility study of superconducting LSM rocket launcher system

A feasibility study is presented concerning an application of a superconducting linear synchronous motor (LSM) to a large-scale rocket launcher, whose acceleration guide tube of LSM armature windings is constructed 1,500 meters under the ground. The rocket is released from the linear launcher just after it gets to a peak speed of about 900 kilometers per hour, and it flies out of the guide tube to obtain the speed of 700 kilometers per hour at the height of 100 meters above ground. The linear launcher is brought to a stop at the ground surface for a very short time of 5 seconds by a quick control of deceleration. Very large current variations in the single-layer windings of the LSM armature, which are produced at the higher speed region of 600 to 900 kilometers per hour, are controlled successfully by adopting the double-layer windings. The proposed control method makes the rocket launcher ascend stably in the superconducting LSM system, controlling the Coriolis force.

Yoshida, Kinjiro↗
NASA NTRS1959

Flight Investigation of an Automatic Throttle Control in Landing Approaches

A flight investigation of an automatic throttle control in landing approaches has been made. It was found that airspeed could be maintained satisfactorily by the automatic throttle control. Turbulent air caused undesirably large variations of engine power which were uncomfortable and disconcerting; nevertheless, the pilot felt that he could make approaches 5 knots slower with equal assurance when the automatic control was in operation.

Lina, Lindsay J.↗