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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 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

Instrumentation development for the EUVE

The prototype mirror was successfully replated with a thick layer of nickel and diamond turned again. Optimization of the sensitivity of the instruments was studied with emphasis on the filter material, and on the available telemetry. The JHU Preliminary Project Definition Document was critically analyzed. Further studies of the electron cloud distribution produced by a channel plate were performed, and a wedge and strip anode with 17 quartets per inch was shown to image with better than 0.5% linearity. Half the microchannel plates being used in the lifetest completed initial processing and are in the lifetest vacuum chamber.

Finley, D.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Instrument development for a toxic level hypergolic vapor detector

The development and deployment of technology applicable to the field measurement of hypergolic propellants is discussed. The propellants include hydrazine (H) monomethylhydrazine (MMH), and 1,1-dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) at the parts per billion (PPB) level in air or a diluent gas. Four major areas are reviewed: (1) development of an improved electrochemical sensor for the measurement of hydrazines (H, MMH and UDMH) in air; (2) prototype instrument fabrication and subsequent laboratory evaluation; (3) initial instrument field test results; and (4) future requirements and applications.

Rogers, P. M.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Perspective on the National Aero-space Plane program instrumentation development

Development of advanced measurement technology for the NASP program is reviewed. The technical need and the program commitment are discussed which are required to ensure that adequate and timely measurement capabilities are provided for ground and flight testing in the NASP program. Particular attention is given to an assessment of the current development status and a perspective on the features of the NASP program that contributed to the current state of instrumentation technology readiness.

Bogue, Rodney K.↗
NASA NTRS2006

The Tropospheric Wind Lidar Technology Experiment (TWiLiTE): An Airborne Direct Detection Doppler Lidar Instrument Development Program

Global measurement of tropospheric winds is a key measurement for understanding atmospheric dynamics and improving numerical weather prediction. Global wind profiles remain a high priority for the operational weather community and also for a variety of research applications including studies of the global hydrologic cycle and transport studies of aerosols and trace species. In addition to space based winds, a high altitude airborne system flown on UAV or other advanced platforms would be of great interest for studying mesoscale dynamics and hurricanes. The Tropospheric Wind Lidar Technology Experiment (TWiLiTE) project was selected in 2005 by the NASA Earth Sun Technology Office as part of the Instrument Incubator Program. TWiLiTE will leverage significant research and development investments in key technologies made in the past several years. The primary focus will be on integrating these sub-systems into a complete molecular direct detection Doppler wind lidar system designed for autonomous operation on a high altitude aircraft, such as the NASA WB57, so that the nadir viewing lidar will be able to profile winds through the full troposphere. TWiLiTE is a collaboration involving scientists and technologists from NASA Goddard, NOAA ESRL, Utah State University Space Dynamics Lab and industry partners Michigan Aerospace Corporation and Sigma Space Corporation. NASA Goddard and it's partners have been at the forefront in the development of key lidar technologies (lasers, telescopes, scanning systems, detectors and receivers) required to enable spaceborne global wind lidar measurement. The TWiLiTE integrated airborne Doppler lidar instrument will be the first demonstration of a airborne scanning direct detection Doppler lidar and will serve as a critical milestone on the path to a fixture spaceborne tropospheric wind system. The completed system will have the capability to profile winds in clear air from the aircraft altitude of 18 h to the surface with 250 m vertical resolution and less than 2 meters per second velocity accuracy. The instrument design, technologies and predicted performance will be presented.

Gentry, Bruce↗
NASA NTRS2022

ORCAS - Keck Instrument Development - ORKID

A new breed of space-ground hybrid observatory, the Orbiting Configurable Artificial Star (ORCAS) mission is working with the W. M. Keck Observatory (WMKO) to demonstrate the viability of diffraction-limited visible imaging from large ground telescopes. To support that, we have built and delivered ORKID (The ORCAS Keck Instrument Demonstrator) as an early visible-wavelength performance demonstration with the Keck II Adaptive Optics (AO) system. By enabling AO and flux calibration observations, the low-cost ORCAS/ORKID mission will deliver highly detailed images to support many scientific advances. A community driven observation plan will provide Great Observatory quality capabilities open to all US observers. These observations will result in unique science for the mission, while also complementing and extending space-borne science.

Eliad Peretz↗
DOE OSTI2024

Landmark Publications in Analytical Atomic Spectrometry: Fundamentals and Instrumentation Development

The almost-two-centuries history of spectrochemical analysis has generated a body of literature so vast that it has become nearly intractable for experts, much less for those wishing to enter the field. Authoritative, focused reviews help to address this problem but become so granular that the overall directions of the field are lost. This broader perspective can be provided partially by general overviews but then the thinking, experimental details, theoretical underpinnings, and instrumental innovations of the original work must be sacrificed. In the present compilation, this dilemma is overcome by assembling the most impactful publications in the area of analytical atomic spectrometry. Each entry was proposed by at least one current expert in the field and supported by a narrative that justifies its inclusion. The entries were then assembled into a coherent sequence and returned to contributors for a round-robin review. A total of 48 scientists participated in this endeavor, contributing a combined list of 1055 individual articles spanning 17 sub-disciplines of spectrochemical analysis into what the current community views as “key” publications. Of these cited articles, 60 received nominations from four or more scientists, establishing them as the most indispensable reading materials. The outcome of this collaborative effort is intended to serve as a valuable resource not only for current practitioners in atomic spectroscopy but also for present and future students who represent coming generations of analytical atomic spectroscopists.

Instruments & Instrumentation↗
NASA NTRS2017

Raman Life Detection Instrument Development for Icy Worlds

The objective of this project is to develop a compact, high sensitivity Raman sensor for detection of life signatures in a flow cell configuration to enable bio-exploration and life detection during future mission to our Solar Systems Icy Worlds. The specific project objectives are the following: 1) Develop a Raman spectroscopy liquid analysis sensor for biosignatures; 2) Demonstrate applicability towards a future Enceladus or other Icy Worlds missions; 3) Establish key parameters for integration with the ARC Sample Processor for Life on Icy Worlds (SPLIce); 4) Position ARC for a successful response to upcoming Enceladus or other Icy World mission instrument opportunities.

astrobiolog↗
DOE OSTI2022

Instrumentation development and testing of a wind turbine blade for sub-scale wake studies

Wind turbine blade aerodynamics and the resulting wake flow are complex, and wind tunnel testing of these flows can provide critical insight. The data from such tests are also valuable for validation of numerical models. For experiments using sub-scale turbines to be useful, the blade aerodynamics and wakes must exhibit the important features observed in utility-scale turbine flows. In this work, ~1 m blades designed to produce physics relevant to larger scale turbines were manufactured and affixed to an existing turbine. One of the blades was instrumented for blade surface pressure measurements. Time-dependent surface pressure measurements coupled with instantaneous measurements of the inflow with Cobra probes and the wake with particle image velocimetry allowed for characterization of the inflow, blade flow, and near wake. The results demonstrate that the instrumentation was effective in characterizing the blade loading and the flow field. For the one test case discussed in this paper, the measurements of inflow, blade loading, and wake properties facilitate understanding of the wake's behavior.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS1990

Aerodynamics support of research instrument development

A new velocimetry system is currently being developed at NASA LaRC. The device, known as a Doppler global velocimeter (DGV), can record three velocity components within a plane simultaneously and in near real time. To make measurements the DGV, like many other velocimetry systems, relies on the scattering of light from numerous small particles in a flow field. The particles or seeds are illuminated by a sheet of laser light and viewed by two CCD cameras. The scattered light from the particles will have a frequency which is a function of the source laser light frequency, the viewing angle, and most importantly the seed velocities. By determining the scattered light intensity the velocity can be measured at all points within the light sheet simultaneously. Upon completion of DGV component construction and initial check out a series of tests in the Basic Aerodynamic Research (wind) Tunnel (BART) are scheduled to verify instrument operation and accuracy. If the results are satisfactory, application of the DGV to flight measurements on the F-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV) are planned. The DGV verification test in the BART facility will utilize a 75 degree swept delta wing model. A major task undertaken this summer included evaluation of previous results for this model. A specific series of tests matching exactly the previous tests and exploring new DGV capabilities were developed and suggested. Another task undertaken was to study DGV system installation possibilities in the F-18 HARV aircraft. In addition, a simple seeding system modification was developed and utilized to make Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV) measurements in the BART facility.

Miller, L. Scott↗
NASA NTRS2019

Optical Studies of Low Reflectance Materials at Solar Reflective Wavelengths in Support of Remote Sensing Instrument Development and Calibration

We report the Bidirectional Reflection Distribution Function (BRDF) and Total Hemispheric Reflectance (THR) results of several low reflectance materials using a Table-top Goniometer (TTG) and a commercial UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometer in support of the NASA GSFC PACE project. The newly developed TTG was utilized to perform the BRDF measurements for several black candidate samples in in-plane and out-of-plane configurations from 300 nm to 2000 nm. These measurements demonstrated the BRDF capability of the TTG to calibrate the dim calibration target with a reflectance of approximately 2 % for the OCI of the PACE project. The spectral THR of the black samples from 200 nm to 2500 nm was determined using a 10 % reflectance diffuse black standard and a monochromator-based light source equipped with a 150 mm diameter integrating sphere. The THR measurement is used to compliment and validate the BRDF measurements acquired from these samples. In this presentation, we also show examples of UV induced BRDF and THR changes on two black coatings. We will discuss validation of the BRDF scale, source stability, measurement repeatability, instrument signature, and uncertainty components.

Bidirectional Reflection Distribution Function (BR↗
DOE OSTI2025

Results of South-East Flux Trap Dosimetry Measurements for the Advanced Test Reactor Critical Facility in support of Advanced Sensors and Instrumentation Development

Reactor dosimetry measurements are commonly used to validate simulation and modeling in nuclear reactor tests. Numerous standard dosimeter materials exist which are commonly utilized with sensitivities to different energy ranges of neutrons. At the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), cobalt alloy and pure nickel wires are installed every cycle to monitor thermal- and fast-neutron fluence rates. However, there is growing interest in exploring less commonly used materials which are either more sensitive to different parts of the neutron energy spectrum or which can incorporate multiple activation paths in a single material. Epithermal and fast-neutron energies beyond the typical 1-MeV threshold are of particular interest. Two ATR-C Flux Runs took place during 2024; each flux run included supplemental dosimetry packages in the South-East Flux Trap (SEFT) Filler. The focus of the dosimetry package for flux run 23-4 was to test two novel dosimetry methods that can provide simultaneous thermal and threshold (fast) sensitivity in a single dosimeter wire. A selection of 3% Au in Cu alloyed wires were available that provided sensitivity to fast and thermal neutrons through 5 different reactions. Likewise, Fe offers multiple interaction pathways with sensitivity to both thermal and fast neutrons. The main question to be answered by these irradiations was if sufficient radioactivation would take place in the ATR-C SEFT during a nominal 20-minute irradiation at typical power levels (near 600Wth) to observe the threshold reactions that have smaller activation cross-sections than the thermal reactions without being saturated by interfering interactions and Compton continuum during the High-Purity Germanium (HPGe) measurements. The results from comparing the measurement results to anticipated activity levels provide confidence in our ability to activate both traditional and novel dosimetry materials in ATR-C, however not all the measured values matched with the predicted activities. This leaves further room for investigation both on the experimental and computational approaches for future irradiation experiments.

46 - INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AN↗