Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “buffer”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 523 records · Page 29

Microbial detection method based on sensing molecular hydrogen

A simple method for detecting bacteria, based on the time of hydrogen evolution, was developed and tested against various members of the Enterobacteriaceae group. The test system consisted of (1) two electrodes, platinum and a reference electrode, (2) a buffer amplifier, and (3) a strip-chart recorder. Hydrogen evolution was measured by an increase in voltage in the negative (cathodic) direction. A linear relationship was established between inoculum size and the time hydrogen was detected (lag period). Lag times ranged from 1 h for 1 million cells/ml to 7 h for 1 cell/ml. For each 10-fold decrease in inoculum, length of the lag period increased 60 to 70 min. Based on the linear relationship between inoculum and lag period, these results indicate the potential application of the hydrogen-sensing method for rapidly detecting coliforms and other gas-producing microorganisms in a variety of clinical, food, and other samples.

Wilkins, J. R.↗

Rough-to-smooth transition of an equilibrium neutral constant stress layer

A model is proposed for low-level atmospheric flows over terrains of changing roughness length, such as those found at the windward end of landing strips adjoining rough terrain. The proposed model is used to develop a prediction technique for calculating transition wind and shear-stress profiles in the region following surface roughness discontinuity. The model for the transition region comprises two layers: a logarithmic layer and a buffer layer. The flow is assumed to be steady, two-dimensional, and incompressible, with neutral hydrostatic stability. A diagram is presented for a typical wind profile in the transition region, obtained from the logarithmic and velocity defect profiles using shear stress calculated by relevant equations.

Logan, E., Jr.↗

Interactive imaging and data processing

Image processing method is capable of contrast enhancement, noise filtering, and photometric distortion removal in near real time. System uses digital image integration and digital video recorder as image buffer. Each frame of data is entered into memory; registers provide readout of stored TV frame.

Alsberg, H.↗

Fraction-storage unit for drug-identification system

Device, connecting outputs of all gas chromatographs to single, relatively inexpensive IR spectrometer, reduces costs of system. Storage unit provides buffer storage of samples until infrared spectrometer is ready to accept them. Storage unit can be used to separate overlapping peaks.

Campen, C. F.↗

Low-light-level integrating video system

System consists of television camera using 25 mm SEC vidicon, low dispersion spectrograph, and digital video image system used for buffer storage of video data during tube readout scanning. Six-bit ADC converts video to digital data which are stored on magnetic tape for future evaluation.

Duncan, B. J.↗

Serial-data correlator/code translator

System, consisting of sampling flip flop, memory (either RAM or ROM), and memory buffer, correlates sampled data with predetermined acceptance code patterns, translates acceptable code patterns to nonreturn-to-zero code, and identifies data dropouts.

Morgan, L. E.↗

Digital TV processing system

Two digital video data compression systems directly applicable to the Space Shuttle TV Communication System were described: (1) For the uplink, a low rate monochrome data compressor is used. The compression is achieved by using a motion detection technique in the Hadamard domain. To transform the variable source rate into a fixed rate, an adaptive rate buffer is provided. (2) For the downlink, a color data compressor is considered. The compression is achieved first by intra-color transformation of the original signal vector, into a vector which has lower information entropy. Then two-dimensional data compression techniques are applied to the Hadamard transformed components of this last vector. Mathematical models and data reliability analyses were also provided for the above video data compression techniques transmitted over a channel encoded Gaussian channel. It was shown that substantial gains can be achieved by the combination of video source and channel coding.

Source record↗

Ultrasensitive bioluminescent determinations of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for investigating the energetics of host-grown microbes

Stability and optimal concentrations of reagents were studied in bioluminescence assay of ATP levels. Luciferase enzyme was prepared and purified using Sephadex G-100. Interdependencies between enzyme and luciferin concentrations in presence of optimal Mg are illustrated. Optimal ionic strength was confirmed to be 0.05 M for the four buffers tested. Adapted features of the R- and H-systems are summarized, as well as the percentages of ATP pools released from representative microbes by heat and chloroform.

Hanks, J. H.↗

Fluid flow electrophoresis in space

Four areas relating to free-flow electrophoresis in space were investigated. The first was the degree of improvement over earthbound operations that might be expected. The second area of investigation covered the problems in developing a flowing buffer electrophoresis apparatus. The third area of investigation was the problem of testing on the ground equipment designed for use in space. The fourth area of investigation was the improvement to be expected in space for purification of biologicals. The results of some ground-based experiments are described. Other studies included cooling requirements in space, fluid sealing techniques, and measurement of voltage drop across membranes.

Griffin, R. N.↗

Water system virus detection

A monitoring system developed to test the capability of a water recovery system to reject the passage of viruses into the recovered water is described. A nonpathogenic marker virus, bacteriophage F2, is fed into the process stream before the recovery unit and the reclaimed water is assayed for its presence. Detection of the marker virus consists of two major components, concentration and isolation of the marker virus, and detection of the marker virus. The concentration system involves adsorption of virus to cellulose acetate filters in the presence of trivalent cations and low pH with subsequent desorption of the virus using volumes of high pH buffer. The detection of the virus is performed by a passive immune agglutination test utilizing specially prepared polystyrene particles. An engineering preliminary design was performed as a parallel effort to the laboratory development of the marker virus test system. Engineering schematics and drawings of a fully functional laboratory prototype capable of zero-G operation are presented. The instrument consists of reagent pump/metering system, reagent storage containers, a filter concentrator, an incubation/detector system, and an electronic readout and control system.

Fraser, A. S.↗

A simulation for gravity fine structure recovery from low-low GRAVSAT SST data

Covariance error analysis techniques were applied to investigate estimation strategies for the low-low SST mission for accurate local recovery of gravitational fine structure, considering the aliasing effects of unsolved for parameters. A 5 degree by 5 degree surface density block representation of the high order geopotential was utilized with the drag-free low-low GRAVSAT configuration in a circular polar orbit at 250 km altitude. Recovery of local sets of density blocks from long data arcs was found not to be feasible due to strong aliasing effects. The error analysis for the recovery of local sets of density blocks using independent short data arcs demonstrated that the estimation strategy of simultaneously estimating a local set of blocks covered by data and two "buffer layers" of blocks not covered by data greatly reduced aliasing errors.

Estes, R. H.↗

Electrophoresis experiment, experiment MA-014

A continuous, free flow electrophoresis study was conducted during the Apollo Soyuz Test Project mission to investigate and evaluate the increase in sample flow rate and sample resolution achievable in space. The electrophoresis equipment was designed for the separation of four mixtures of biological cells with variable sample flow rates, buffer flow rates, and electric field gradients. Separation quality was assessed by measuring the light from a quartz lamp through the electrophoresis channel and on to a photodiode system. The preliminary results indicate that all monitored systems operated correctly during the experiment. The optical system produced a light that was too bright to discern true cell distributions, but data were received that show a distribution of separated cells.

Hannig, K.↗

Fracture of composite panels

The fracture problem in panels consisting of periodically arranged load carrying and buffer strips of different materials is considered. The main emphasis is placed on the problem of a crack terminating at and crossing the interfaces and on the stress free end problem. The problem is formulated in terms of a system of singular integral equations, and numerical solutions are obtained for certain material combinations. With the study of possible crack propagation and delamination in mind, certain stress intensity factors are defined and calculated. A main result is that when the crack touches or intersects a bimaterial interface, the stress state has no longer the standard square root singularity, and, to study further propagation of the crack, the conventional fracture models need to be modified, or new models need to be developed.

Erdogan, F.↗

The effect of adhesive layer on crack propagation in laminates

The effect of the adhesive layer on crack propagation in composite materials is investigated. The composite medium consists of parallel load carrying laminates and buffer strips arranged periodically and bonded with thin adhesive layers. The strips, assumed to be isotropic and linearly elastic, contain symmetric cracks of arbitrary lengths located normal to the interfaces. Two problems are considered: (1) thin adhesive layers are approximated by uncoupled tension and shear springs distributed along the interfaces of the strips for which only the case of internal cracks can be treated rigorously; (2) broken laminates and the true singular behavior in the presence of the adhesive layer are studied. The adhesive is then treated as an isotropic, linearly elastic continuum. General expressions for field quantities are obtained in terms of infinite Fourier integrals. These expressions give a system of singular integral equations in terms of the crack surface displacement derivatives. By using appropriate quadrature formulas, the integral equations reduce to a system of linear algebraic equations which are solved numerically.

Gecit, M. R.↗

Launch Processing System

This paper presents a functional description of the Launch Processing System, which provides automatic ground checkout and control of the Space Shuttle launch site and airborne systems, with emphasis placed on the Checkout, Control, and Monitor Subsystem. Hardware and software modular design concepts for the distributed computer system are reviewed relative to performing system tests, launch operations control, and status monitoring during ground operations. The communication network design, which uses a Common Data Buffer interface to all computers to allow computer-to-computer communication, is discussed in detail.

Byrne, F.↗

Proton transfer reactions from H3/+/ ions to N2, O2, and CO molecules

The rate constants for proton transfer from H3(+) ions to N2, O2, and CO have been measured as function of hydrogen-buffer-gas partial pressure. The rate constant for proton transfer from H3(+) to N2 shows a very large pressure dependence, increasing from 1.0 by 10 to the -9th power cu cm/s at low H2 partial pressures to 1.7 by 10 to the -9th power cu cm/s at high H2 partial pressures. The rate constants for proton transfer from H3(+) to O2 and CO are constant with partial pressure of H2. The roles of excess vibrational energy in H3(+) ions and of equilibrium between forward and back reactions are discussed. Back reaction is observed only for the reaction of H3(+) ions with O2, and an equilibrium constant of 2.0 (plus or minus 0.4) at 298 K has been determined. From these data, the proton affinity of O2 is deduced to be 0.47 (plus or minus 0.11) kcal/mole higher than that of H2.

Kim, J. K.↗

Electrical conductivity measurements on silicate melts using the loop technique

A new method is described for measurement of the electrical conductivity of silicate melts under controlled oxygen partial pressure at temperatures to 1550 C. The melt samples are suspended as droplets on platinum-rhodium loops, minimizing iron loss from the melt due to alloying with platinum, and providing maximum surface exposure of the melt to the oxygen-buffering gas atmosphere. The latter provides extremely rapid equilibration of the melt with the imposed oxygen partial pressure. The loop technique involves a minimum of setup time and cost, provides reproducible results to within + or - 5% and is well suited to electrical conductivity studies on silicate melts containing redox cations.

Waff, H. S.↗

Chemical fractionations in meteorites. IX - C3 chondrites

Radiochemical neutron activation is applied to the analysis of four C3V chondrites and three C3O chondrites for 17 trace elements (U, Re, Ir, Ni, Au, Sb, Ge, Ag, Rb, Cs, Bi, Tl, Br, Se, Te, In, and Cd). It is shown that both classes exhibit a typical chondritic step pattern, reflecting loss of volatiles during chondrule formation. It appears that the H2S/H2 ratio is the key variable to account for the condensation of chalcophile elements as a function of H2S. C3O's seem to have condensed in a region where enough metallic Fe was present to buffer the H2S pressure, whereas C3V's condensed in a more oxidized region where H2S was in excess. Accretion temperatures for both subclasses is determined. Sb and Au show variable depletion, presumably reflecting variable loss during chondrule formation.

Anders, E.↗