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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 NTRS1992

Pulsed laser spectral measurement using a Fabry-Perot interferometer: Limits to resolution

We are developing a Doppler lidar system using the edge technique to measure atmospheric wind profiles. The edge technique requires a laser with a narrow spectral bandwidth and a high resolution optical filter. The lidar system will use a Nd:YAG laser operating at 1.064 microns and a high resolution Fabry-Perot interferometer for the edge filter. The Doppler shift measurement is made by locating the laser on the edge of the filter's spectral response function. Due to the steep slope on the edge, large changes in the filter transmission will be observed for small changes in frequency. The Doppler shift can be determined from a measurement of this change in filter transmission if the filter spectral response function in the region of the measurement is well known. Recently developed injection seeded solid state lasers have made near transform limited laser output readily available for lidar work. Injection-seeded Nd:YAG laser exhibit single mode output with smooth Gaussian temporal pulse shapes. Results of an experiment we conducted to evaluate the effects of a short Gaussian temporal input pulse on the spectral response of a high resolution Fabry-Perot interferometer are presented.

Notari, Anthony↗
NASA NTRS2015

Commerical Transition to LEDs: A Pathway to High-Value Products

The use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to support plant growth is a radical departure from use of gas-discharge lamps, which were developed in mid-19th and widely adopted by the industry during the 20th century. Initial investigation by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the late 1980s on the use of LEDs to grow plant in space is resulting in an industry-wide transition from gas discharge to solid-state lighting systems. This global transformation is given urgency by national policies to reduce energy consumption and being facilitated by ready access to information on LEDs. The combination of research, government policy, and information technology has resulted in an exponential increase in research into the use and application of LED technology in horticulture. Commercial horticulture has identified the opportunities provided by LEDs to optimize light spectra to promote growth, regulate morphology, increase nutrient content, and reduce operating costs. LED-light technology is enabling the development of innovative lighting systems, and is being incorporated into large-scale plant factories for the production of edible, ornamental, and medicinal plants. An overview of prevalence of readily accessible information on LEDs and implications for future adoption in horticulture is discussed.

Commerical↗
NASA NTRS1969

Isolated, multiple-output voltage dc-to-dc converter

Isolated, multiple output voltage dc-to-dc converter provides power for television transmitter used in space vehicles. The isolation is accomplished by using a single-end switching transformer circuit. The converter is completely solid state.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1993

A finite element analysis of the freeze/thaw behavior of external artery heat pipes

A two-dimensional finite element model was used to determine the freeze/thaw characteristics of an external artery heat pipe. During startup, the working fluid, which was located in the liquid channel and the circumferential wall grooves, experienced a phase transformation from a solid to a liquid state. The transient heat conduction equations with moving interfacial conditions were solved using the appropriate initial boundary conditions. The modelling results include the cross-sectional temperature distribution and the interfacial or melt front position as a function of time. A fixed grid approach was adopted in the model for the phase-change process during thawing of frozen working fluid. The interfacial position between the liquid and solid regions was found by balancing the latent heat caused by interfacial movement with the heat addition or extraction at the related grid points.

Lu, X. J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Autonomous power system brassboard

The Autonomous Power System (APS) brassboard is a 20 kHz power distribution system which has been developed at NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio. The brassboard exists to provide a realistic hardware platform capable of testing artificially intelligent (AI) software. The brassboard's power circuit topology is based upon a Power Distribution Control Unit (PDCU), which is a subset of an advanced development 20 kHz electrical power system (EPS) testbed, originally designed for Space Station Freedom (SSF). The APS program is designed to demonstrate the application of intelligent software as a fault detection, isolation, and recovery methodology for space power systems. This report discusses both the hardware and software elements used to construct the present configuration of the brassboard. The brassboard power components are described. These include the solid-state switches (herein referred to as switchgear), transformers, sources, and loads. Closely linked to this power portion of the brassboard is the first level of embedded control. Hardware used to implement this control and its associated software is discussed. An Ada software program, developed by Lewis Research Center's Space Station Freedom Directorate for their 20 kHz testbed, is used to control the brassboard's switchgear, as well as monitor key brassboard parameters through sensors located within these switches. The Ada code is downloaded from a PC/AT, and is resident within the 8086 microprocessor-based embedded controllers. The PC/AT is also used for smart terminal emulation, capable of controlling the switchgear as well as displaying data from them. Intelligent control is provided through use of a T1 Explorer and the Autonomous Power Expert (APEX) LISP software. Real-time load scheduling is implemented through use of a 'C' program-based scheduling engine. The methods of communication between these computers and the brassboard are explored. In order to evaluate the features of both the brassboard hardware and intelligent controlling software, fault circuits have been developed and integrated as part of the brassboard. A description of these fault circuits and their function is included. The brassboard has become an extremely useful test facility, promoting artificial intelligence (AI) applications for power distribution systems. However, there are elements of the brassboard which could be enhanced, thus improving system performance. Modifications and enhancements to improve the brassboard's operation are discussed.

Merolla, Anthony↗
NASA NTRS2008

Effects of Palladium Content, Quaternary Alloying, and Thermomechanical Processing on the Behavior of Ni-Ti-Pd Shape Memory Alloys for Actuator Applications

The need for compact, solid-state actuation systems for use in the aerospace, automotive, and other transportation industries is currently driving research in high-temperature shape memory alloys (HTSMA) having transformation temperatures above 100 C. One of the basic high temperature systems under investigation to fill this need is NiTiPd. Prior work on this alloy system has focused on phase transformations and respective temperatures, no-load shape memory behavior (strain recovery), and tensile behavior for selected alloys. In addition, a few tests have been done to determine the effect of boron additions and thermomechanical treatment on the aforementioned properties. The main properties that affect the performance of a solid state actuator, namely work output, transformation strain, and permanent deformation during thermal cycling under load have mainly been neglected. There is also no consistent data representing the mechanical behavior of this alloy system over a broad range of compositions. For this thesis, ternary NiTiPd alloys containing 15 to 46 at.% palladium were processed and the transformation temperatures, basic tensile properties, and work characteristics determined. However, testing reveals that at higher levels of alloying addition, the benefit of increased transformation temperature begins to be offset by lowered work output and permanent deformation or "walking" of the alloy during thermal cycling under load. In response to this dilemma, NiTiPd alloys have been further alloyed with gold, platinum, and hafnium additions to solid solution strengthen the martensite and parent austenite phases in order to improve the thermomechanical behavior of these materials. The tensile properties, work behavior, and dimensional stability during repeated thermal cycling under load for the ternary and quaternary alloys were compared and discussed. In addition, the benefits of more advanced thermomechanical processing or training on the dimensional stability of these alloys during repeated actuation were investigated. Finally, the effect of quaternary alloying on the thermal stability of NiTiPdX alloys is determined via thermal cycling of the materials to increasing temperatures under load. It was found that solid solution additions of platinum and gold resulted in about a 30 C increase in upper use temperature compared to the baseline NiTiPd alloy, providing an added measure of over-temperature protection.

Bigelow, Glen↗
NASA NTRS1975

Residual thermal stresses in a solid sphere cast from a thermosetting material

Expressions are developed for the residual thermal stresses in a solid sphere cast from a chemically hardening thermosetting material in a rigid spherical mold. The description of the heat generation rate and temperature variation is derived from a first-order chemical reaction. Solidification is described by the continuous transformation of the material from an inviscid liquidlike state into an elastic solid, with intermediate properties determined by the degree of chemical reaction. Residual stress components are obtained as functions of the parameters of the hardening process and the properties of the hardening material. Variation of the residual stresses with a nondimensionalized reaction rate parameter and the relative compressibility of the hardened material is discussed in detail.

Levitsky, M.↗
NASA NTRS1970

Solid-state ac-to-dc converter

Converter uses solid-state ac-to-dc rectification circuitry, filter circuitry, a tuned transformer, ac chopper circuitry, and an automatic current-control network. It has a dc power source which operates from 5 to 100 percent load at a 72 to 94 input to output efficiency.

Monroe, C. M.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Technical guidance for the development of a solid state image sensor for human low vision image warping

This report surveys different technologies and approaches to realize sensors for image warping. The goal is to study the feasibility, technical aspects, and limitations of making an electronic camera with special geometries which implements certain transformations for image warping. This work was inspired by the research done by Dr. Juday at NASA Johnson Space Center on image warping. The study has looked into different solid-state technologies to fabricate image sensors. It is found that among the available technologies, CMOS is preferred over CCD technology. CMOS provides more flexibility to design different functions into the sensor, is more widely available, and is a lower cost solution. By using an architecture with row and column decoders one has the added flexibility of addressing the pixels at random, or read out only part of the image.

Vanderspiegel, Jan↗
NASA NTRS1980

Heat storage in alloy transformations

The theory of eutectic transformation was examined to find guidelines to the best material combinations to examine. The heats of transformation were measured calorimetrically, and the volume changes of expanding solid mixtures and homogeneous liquid solutions, especially during the transformation between the two states at fixed temperature, were measured by changes in X-ray absorption. Heat flow models appropriate to storage in phase change materials were developed along with efficient calculating procedures so that the relative importance of the problems associated with energy storage density, heat conduction, and similar properties could be assessed.

Birchenall, C. E.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Thermal stresses in chemically hardening elastic media with application to the molding process

A method has been formulated for the determination of thermal stresses in materials which harden in the presence of an exothermic chemical reaction. Hardening is described by the transformation of the material from an inviscid liquid-like state into an elastic solid, where intermediate states consist of a mixture of the two, in a ratio which is determined by the degree of chemical reaction. The method is illustrated in terms of an infinite slab cast between two rigid mold surfaces. It is found that the stress component normal to the slab surfaces vanishes in the residual state, so that removal of the slab from the mold leaves the remaining residual stress unchanged. On the other hand, the residual stress component parallel to the slab surfaces does not vanish. Its distribution is described as a function of the parameters of the hardening process.

Levitsky, M.↗
NASA NTRS2013

NASA Tech Briefs, November 2013

Topics include: Cryogenic Liquid Sample Acquisition System for Remote Space Applications; 5 Spatial Statistical Data Fusion (SSDF); GPS Estimates of Integrated Precipitable Water Aid Weather Forecasters; Integrating a Microwave Radiometer into Radar Hardware for Simultaneous Data Collection Between the Instruments; Rapid Detection of Herpes Viruses for Clinical Applications; High-Speed Data Recorder for Space, Geodesy, and Other High-Speed Recording Applications; Datacasting V3.0; An All-Solid-State, Room-Temperature, Heterodyne Receiver for Atmospheric Spectroscopy at 1.2 THz; Stacked Transformer for Driver Gain and Receive Signal Splitting; Wireless Integrated Microelectronic Vacuum Sensor System; Fabrication Method for LOBSTER-Eye Optics in <110> Silicon; Compact Focal Plane Assembly for Planetary Science; Fabrication Methods for Adaptive Deformable Mirrors; Visiting Vehicle Ground Trajectory Tool; Workflow-Based Software Development Environment; Mobile Thread Task Manager; A Kinematic Calibration Process for Flight Robotic Arms; Magnetostrictive Alternator; Bulk Metallic Glasses and Composites for Optical and Compliant Mechanisms; Detection of Only Viable Bacterial Spores Using a Live/Dead Indicator in Mixed Populations; and Intravenous Fluid Generation System.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1971

Moessbauer spectra of ferrite catalysts used in oxidative dehydrogenation

Room temperature Mossbauer spectroscopy was used to examine bulk changes which occur in low surface area CoFe2O4 and CuFe2O4 catalysts as a result of contact with various mixtures of trans-2-butene and O2 during oxidative dehydrogenation reactions at about 420 C. So long as there was at least some O2 in the gas phase, the CoFe2O4 spectrum was essentially unchanged. However, the spectrum changed from a random spinel in the oxidized state to an inverse spinel as it was reduced by oxide ion removal. The steady state catalyst lies very near the fully oxidized state. More dramatic solid state changes occurred as the CuFe2O4 underwent reduction. Under severe reduction, the ferrite was transformed into Cu and Fe3O4, but it could be reversibly recovered by oxidation. An intense doublet located near zero velocity persisted in all spectra of CuFe2O4 regardless of the state of reduction.

Cares, W. R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Spectroscopy of Solid State Laser Materials

We retrieved the vertical distribution of ozone from a series 0.005-0.013/cm resolution infrared solar spectra recorded with the McMath Fourier Transform spectrometer at the Kitt Peak National Solar Observatory. The analysis is based on a multi-layer line-by-line forward model and a semi-empirical version of the optimal estimation inversion method by Rodgers. The 1002.6-1003.2/cm spectral interval has been selected for the analysis on the basis of synthetic spectrum calculations. The characterization and error analysis of the method have been performed. It was shown that for the Kitt Peak spectral resolution and typical signal-to-noise ratio (greater than or equal to 100) the retrieval is stable, with the vertical resolution of approximately 5 km attainable near the surface degrading to approximately 10 km in the stratosphere. Spectra recorded from 1980 through 1993 have been analyzed. The retrieved total ozone and vertical profiles have been compared with total ozone mapping spectrometer (TOMS) satellite total columns for the location and dates of the Kitt Peak Measurements and about 100 ozone ozonesoundings and Brewer total column measurements from Palestine, Texas, from 1979 to 1985. The total ozone measurements agree to +/- 2%. The retrieved profiles reproduce the seasonally averaged variations with altitude, including the ozone spring maximum and fall minimum measured by Palestine sondes, but up to 15% differences in the absolute values are obtained.

Buoncristiani, A. M.↗
NASA NTRS1968

Solid state high-voltage pulser operates with low supply voltage

High speed klystron cathode pulser requires low voltage to generate high-voltage pulses. Broadband video transformers are wound in two configurations - /1/ transmission line, multifilar toroids and /2/ loop coupling toroids. The circuit adapts to generate high-speed, high-voltage, high-stability power pulses at megawatt levels.

Milberger, W. E.↗