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Results for “positioning devices”

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 NTRS1991

Development of high temperature containerless processing equipment and the design and evaluation of associated systems required for microgravity materials processing and property measurements

The development of high temperature containerless processing equipment and the design and evaluation of associated systems required for microgravity materials processing and property measurements are discussed. Efforts were directed towards the following task areas: design and development of a High Temperature Acoustic Levitator (HAL) for containerless processing and property measurements at high temperatures; testing of the HAL module to establish this technology for use as a positioning device for microgravity uses; construction and evaluation of a brassboard hot wall Acoustic Levitation Furnace; construction and evaluation of a noncontact temperature measurement (NCTM) system based on AGEMA thermal imaging camera; construction of a prototype Division of Amplitude Polarimetric Pyrometer for NCTM of levitated specimens; evaluation of and recommendations for techniques to control contamination in containerless materials processing chambers; and evaluation of techniques for heating specimens to high temperatures for containerless materials experimentation.

Rey, Charles A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Instrumentation for near-Earth measurement of orbital debris and cosmic dust particles

Dust instrumentation based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) dust sensor arrays is described which will measure the masses, fluxes, velocities, and trajectories of orbital debris particles and natural micrometeoroids. Orbital debris particles are distinguished from natural particles (cosmic dust) by means of the velocity/trajectory information. The instrumentation will measure particle trajectory with a mean error of approximately 7 degrees (for isotropic flux) and is designed for measurements over the particle diameter range of approximately 2 to 200 micro-m. For future missions having Earth-return capabilities, arrays of capture cell devices positioned behind the PVDF trajectory system would provide for Earth-based chemical and isotopic analysis of captured dust.

Tuzzolino, Anthony J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Determination of the Critical Parameters for Remote Microscope Control

As part of a program to determine the capabilities of Telescience as applied to Microgravity Materials Science the need for a remotely controlled microscope was recognized. For this purpose we equipped a microscope with an X-Y-Z positioning device and motors on the zoom and focus controls. Computer control of these devices allowed remote operation. A standard TV camera was mounted to the computer controlled video board which could compress the image in resolution and grey scale. The operator control console was programmed to display three still video pictures as well as provide command access. A standard data transfer network was used to transmit the video data files and the command interaction was via a high speed phone modem. This system, with the microscope in the Microgravity Materials Science Laboratory (MMSL) at LeRC and the control at RPI, was used to determine the accuracy of setting, time required to achieve setting and the operator ease factor. It was found that the focus setting could be established well within the resolution limit of the TV system and that each motion took about 50 seconds and approximately 12 minutes was required to reach ?best? focus. These times could be reduced significantly with operator experience. The operators were provided with ancillary equipment which provided assistance in making the necessary decisions and they reported satisfaction with the control.

Hahn, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Tests of an alternate mobile transporter and extravehicular activity assembly procedure for the Space Station Freedom truss

Results are presented from a ground test program of an alternate mobile transporter (MT) concept and extravehicular activity (EVA) assembly procedure for the Space Station Freedom (SSF) truss keel. A three-bay orthogonal tetrahedral truss beam consisting of 44 2-in-diameter struts and 16 nodes was assembled repeatedly in neutral buoyancy by pairs of pressure-suited test subjects working from astronaut positioning devices (APD's) on the MT. The truss bays were cubic with edges 15 ft long. All the truss joint hardware was found to be EVA compatible. The average unit assembly time for a single pair of experienced test subjects was 27.6 sec/strut, which is about half the time derived from other SSF truss assembly tests. A concept for integration of utility trays during truss assembly is introduced and demonstrated in the assembly tests. The concept, which requires minimal EVA handling of the trays, is shown to have little impact on overall assembly time. The results of these tests indicate that by using an MT equipped with APD's, rapid EVA assembly of a space station-size truss structure can be expected.

Heard, Walter L., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1993

An LDEF 2 dust instrument for discrimination between orbital debris and natural particles in near-Earth space

The characteristics of a space dust instrument which would be ideally suited to carry out near-Earth dust measurements on a possible Long Duraction Exposure Facility reflight mission (LDEF 2) is discussed. As a model for the trajectory portion of the instrument proposed for LDEF 2, the characteristics of a SPAce DUSt instrument (SPADUS) currently under development for flight on the USA ARGOS mission to measure the flux, mass, velocity, and trajectory of near-Earth dust is summarized. Since natural (cosmic) dust and man-made dust particles (orbital debris) have different velocity and trajectory distributions, they are distinguished by means of the SPADUS velocity/trajectory information. The SPADUS measurements will cover the dust mass range approximately 5 x 10(exp -12) g (2 microns diameter) to approximately 1 x 10(exp -5) g (200 microns diameter), with an expected mean error in particle trajectory of approximately 7 deg (isotropic flux). Arrays of capture cell devices positioned behind the trajectory instrumentation would provide for Earth-based chemical and isotopic analysis of captured dust. The SPADUS measurement principles, characteristics, its role in the ARGOS mission, and its application to an LDEF 2 mission are summarized.

Tuzzolino, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

20th Aerospace Mechanisms Symposium

The proceedings of the 20th Aerospace Mechanisms Symposium, hosted by the NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, on May 7-9, 1986, is documented herein. During the 3 days, 23 technical papers were presented by experts from the United States and Western Europe. A panel discussion by an International group of experts on future directions In mechanisms was also presented; this discussion, however, is not documented herein. The technical topics addressed included deployable structures, electromagnetic devices, tribology, thermal/mechanical/hydraulic actuators, latching devices, positioning mechanisms, robotic manipulators, and computerized mechanisms synthesis.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2002

STS-112 Flight Day 5 Highlights

On this fifth day of the STS-112 mission, the crewmembers Atlantis will begin transferring equipment and supplies to the orbiting laboratory. The crew reviews procedures for Saturday's spacewalk. Mission Specialists, Dave Wolf and Piers Sellers will prepare the tools and other equipment for use during Saturday's spacewalk. The spacewalkers reverse positions for most of the EVA, with Sellers riding the arm and Wolf free-floating while tethered to the station. They will attach umbilicals, install a second camera, install spool positioning devices to quickly disconnect fittings on ammonia lines and release radiator beam launch locks. The crewmembers will move a number of scientific experiments back and forth between the vehicles to return completed experiments to Earth and deploy new experiments at the station. One experiment transferred includes a set of liver cell tissue samples from an experiment studying the function of human liver cells in micro-gravity experiments were moved from the station onto the shuttle for return to Earth. Payload experiments such as Marshall Space Flight Center's protein crystals in micro-gravity experiments were moved to and from the station.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2002

STS-113 Flight Day 8 Highlights

The STS-113 eigth flight day begins with Michael Lopez Alegria exiting the Quest Airlock to begin working on the P1 truss structure. Michael Lopez alegria is installing spool positioning devices (SPD) on the P1 truss structure. John Herrington is also seen working outside of the International Space Station. A good view of the deployed UHF radio antenna is shown.

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NASA NTRS2003

STS-114 Crew Interviews Eileen Collins, CDR

Commander Eileen Collins of the STS-114 space mission is seen during a pre-launch interview. She answers questions about the primary goals of the mission which are to exchange the expedition six and expedition seven crews. Also, she says that a large amount of logistics will be taken up to the International Space Station. The primary payload on this mission include: 1) The Utilization and Logistics Flight-1 (ULF-1); 2) Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM); and 3) External Stowage Platform (ESP-2) which are all explained in detail by the Commander. The Window Observational Research Facility (WORF) rack, Human Research Facility (HRF) rack, Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer (MELF) and EXPRESS rack are the Space Station equipment to be installed on the International Space Station (I.S.S.). Collins is the Intravehicular Activity (IVA) specialist for this mission who oversees the three Extravehicular Activity (EVA)'s performed by Mission Specialists Soichi Noguchi and Stephen Robinson. The three EVA's include an external camera installation, positioning devices for an ammonia system and the installation of Floating Potential Measuring Unit (FPMU). Commander Collins expresses that she wants to have a successful mission, and also wants to see the Earth from space.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2003

STS-112 Mission Highlights Resource, Part 3 of 3

The STS-112 Mission begins with a view of the center radiator on the S(1) Truss. A good view of the International Space Station's (ISS) Destiny Laboratory, Soyuz Crew Return Vehicle and Quest Airlock are shown from a video camera located at the end of the S(1) Truss Segment. The ISS Canadarm 2 is shown getting in position for spacewalk three. Highlights of flight day eight begin with Pilot Pam Melroy and Mission Specialist Fyodur Yurchikhin shown inside of the Quest Airlock closing the hatch as spacewalkers David Wolf and Piers Sellers move in the outer compartment of the Airlock to begin Extravehicular Activity 3 (EVA 3). During EVA 3, Dave Wolf and Piers Sellers are installing spool positioning devices on ammonia lines located on the ISS. Robot Arm Operators Peggy Whitson and Sandy Magnus are shown reviewing procedures for operating the robot arm. A view of Piers Seller climbing back into the Quest Airlock is presented. During flight day nine, robot arm operators Pam Melroy, Jeff Ashby and Peggy Whitson are in the process of removing spacesuits worn by David Wolf and Piers Sellers. A final farewell of the nine crewmembers shown inside of the Destiny Laboratory is presented during flight day ten. The undocking of Space Shuttle Atlantis from the International Space Station is shown on flight day eleven. This presentation ends on flight day 12 with a view of head up displays and the actual landing of the Space Shuttle Atlantis.

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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Summary of the NASA Semi-Span High-Lift Common Research Model Wind Tunnel Test at the QinetiQ 5-Metre Low-Speed Facility

A summary and selected results from experimental testing of the NASA 10% scale semi-span High-Lift Common Research Model (CRM-HL) at the QinetiQ 5m (5mWT) pressurized low-speed wind tunnel are presented. There were many objectives of this test, the primary being to define a set of reference configurations for dissemination and use within the CRM-HL ecosystem, one in the landing configuration and one in the takeoff configuration. A database of force, moment, pressure and surface flow visualization data was collected to support several objectives: aerodynamic sensitivity to high-lift device positioning, Reynolds number effects on configuration selection, isolation of the effects of various components of the reference configuration e.g. landing gear, nacelle, horizontal tail, etc., and limited repeatability data for uncertainty quantification assessment. Some results were compared to limited data collected at the NASA Langley Research Center 14x22 wind tunnel to assess half-model effects and facility differences. Half-model effects were further studied with use of floor blowing to change boundary layer profile and assess effects on model aerodynamics. Flow visualization data were gathered with fluorescent mini-tufts and UV oil. Finally, test time was spend working on the development of new Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Model Deformation Measurement (MDM) capabilities at the 5mWT facility.

Ashley Evans↗
NASA NTRS1965

Simple control device senses solar position

The amount of solar radiation incident on a specially prepared bimetallic strip is simply and reliably controlled by a light valve. This device is valuable for systems requiring temperature regulation.

Lonborg, J. O.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Metal-Film Hall-Effect Devices

Large positive and negative Hall coefficients achievable. Family of Hall-effect devices made from multilayer metal films instead of semiconductor materials. Metal films easier to fabricate; formed by deposition on variety of substrates, and leads readily attached to them. Fabricated with larger areas, potentially more reliable, and less affected by impurities. Also used to measure magnetic fields. Devices especially useful at low temperatures.

Peters, Palmer N.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Recording-tape position sensor

Device uses tachometer pulses from capstan and reset pulse from one reel to sense count of tach pulses per revolution of reel. Number of pulses is direct measurement of tape stack radius and is independent of tape speed or direction.

Schoppet, G. C.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Multi-Absorber Transition-Edge Sensors for X-Ray Astronomy Applications

We are developing multi-absorber Transition-Edge Sensors (TESs) for applications in x-ray astronomy. These position-sensitive devices consist of multiple x-ray absorbers each with a different thermal coupling to a single readout TES. Heat diffusion between the absorbers and the TES gives rise to a characteristic pulse shape corresponding to each absorber element and enables position discrimination. The development of these detectors is motivated by a desire to maximize focal plane arrays with the fewest number of readout channels. In this contribution we report on the first results from devices consisting of nine) 65 X 65 sq. microns Au x-ray absorbers) 5 microns thick. These are coupled to a single 35 X 35 sq. microns Mo/Au bilayer TES. These devices have demonstrated full-width-half-maximum (FWHM) energy resolution of 2.1 eV at 1.5 keV) 2.5 eV at 5.9 keV and 3.3 eV at 8 keV. This is coupled with position discrimination from pulse shape over the same energy range. We use a finite-element model to reproduce the measured pulse shapes and investigate the detector non-linearity with energy) which impacts on the devices position sensitivity and energy resolution.

Smith, S. J.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Visual perception system and method for a humanoid robot

A robotic system includes a humanoid robot with robotic joints each moveable using an actuator(s), and a distributed controller for controlling the movement of each of the robotic joints. The controller includes a visual perception module (VPM) for visually identifying and tracking an object in the field of view of the robot under threshold lighting conditions. The VPM includes optical devices for collecting an image of the object, a positional extraction device, and a host machine having an algorithm for processing the image and positional information. The algorithm visually identifies and tracks the object, and automatically adapts an exposure time of the optical devices to prevent feature data loss of the image under the threshold lighting conditions. A method of identifying and tracking the object includes collecting the image, extracting positional information of the object, and automatically adapting the exposure time to thereby prevent feature data loss of the image.

Wells, James W.↗