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At least 577 records · Page 32

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NASA NTRS2000

Survey of Active Vibration Isolation Systems for Microgravity Applications

In view of the utility of space vehicles as orbiting science laboratories, the need for vibration isolation systems for acceleration-sensitive experiments has gained increasing visibility. To date, three active microgravity vibration isolation systems have successfully been demonstrated in flight. A tutorial discussion of the microgravity vibration isolation problem, including a description of the acceleration environment of the International Space Station and attenuation requirements, as well as a comparison or the dynamics of passive isolation, active rack-level isolation, and active payload-level isolation is provided. The flight test results of the three demonstrated systems: suppression of transient accelerations by levitation, the microgravity vibration isolation mount, and the active rack isolation system are surveyed.

Grodsinsky, Carlos M.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Investigations of Mechanisms Associated with Nucleate Boiling Under Microgravity Conditions

In this work a building block type of approach is used so that a basic understanding of the processes that contribute to nucleate boiling heat fluxes under microgravity conditions can be developed. This understanding will lead to development of a mechanistic model for nucleate boiling heat transfer which could eventually be used as a design tool in space applications. Task Description Task 1: Fabrication of the Experimental Setup. Under this task, the test section and liquid holding and viewing chambers will be fabricated. Artificial cylinder cavities will be formed on silicon wafers. A single cavity and two or four cavities, with a prescribed spacing and size, will be formed. The desired nucleation wall superheat will be used to determine the size of the mouth of the cavities. Task 2: Experiments. The basic experiments for flow and temperature field around single and multiple (2 or 4 separated or merged bubbles growing on downward facing or inclined surfaces) will be carried out under normal gravity conditions. The experiments will be conducted at one atmosphere pressure, but liquid subcooling will be varied from 0 to 30C. Water and PF-5050 will be used as test liquids. Task 3: Analytical/Numerical Models. In this task, transient temperature and flow field in vapor and liquid will be determined during growth of a single bubble. Analysis will include the evolution of the vapor-liquid interface and development of microlayer underneath the bubbles. For merged bubbles, detailed calculations of flow and temperature field will be carried out for transient shapes of vapor stems supporting a large bubble and the corresponding evaporation rate. Flow and temperature field for a bubble sliding along a heated wall will also be determined. Microgravity conditions will be simulated and a framework of a numerical tool for prediction of nucleate boiling heat fluxes under microgravity conditions will be developed. Task 4: Experiments in a KC-135. To understand bubble growth and detachment behavior of single or large merged bubbles, boiling experiments will be conducted under low gravity (10-2 g) conditions of the aircraft. In these experiments, 'designed' surfaces will be used. Visual observations and heat transfer data will be taken, but holography will not be used. The apparatus used for laboratory experiments will also be employed for experiments in the aircraft. Task 5: Experiments in the Space Shuttle. Effort will be devoted for defining a boiling experiment to be conducted on a 'designed' surface. The experiment will provide microgravity data on bubble growth and departure. These data are needed for development of a credible model for nucleate boiling heat fluxes under microgravity conditions. The heat transfer data will also be obtained and will be used to validate the models.

Dhir, Vijay K.↗

NASA NTRS1961

Irradiation Effects of 22 and 240 MeV Protons on Several Transistors and Solar Cells

The work covered in this report has been directed toward the investigation of the irradiation effects of 22 and 240 MeV protons on several transistors, solar cells, resistors, and condensers to be used in the space radiation environment. The experimental data indicated definite detrimental effects on transistors and solar cells but no apparent effects on the types of resistors and condensers tested. The detrimental effects are of two distinct types: transient and permanent.

Hulten, W. C.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Further Characterization of an Active Clearance Control Concept

A new test chamber and precision hydraulic actuation system were incorporated into an active clearance control (ACC) test rig at NASA Glenn Research Center. Using the improved system, a fast-acting, mechanically-actuated, ACC concept was evaluated at engine simulated temperatures and pressure differentials up to 1140 F and 120 psig, on the basis of secondary seal leakage and kinematic controllability. During testing, the ACC concept tracked a simulated flight clearance transient profile at 1140 F, 120 psig, with a maximum error of only 0.0012 in. Comparison of average dynamic leakage of the system with average static leakage did not show significant differences between the two operating conditions. Calculated effective clearance values for the rig were approximately 0.0002 in. at 120 psig, well below the industry specified effective clearance threshold of 0.001 in.

Taylor, Shawn C.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Analytic Perturbation Method for Estimating Ground Flash Fraction from Satellite Lightning Observations

An analytic perturbation method is introduced for estimating the lightning ground flash fraction in a set of N lightning flashes observed by a satellite lightning mapper. The value of N is large, typically in the thousands, and the observations consist of the maximum optical group area produced by each flash. The method is tested using simulated observations that are based on Optical Transient Detector (OTD) and Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) data. National Lightning Detection NetworkTM (NLDN) data is used to determine the flash‐type (ground or cloud) of the satellite-observed flashes, and provides the ground flash fraction truth for the simulation runs. It is found that the mean ground flash fraction retrieval errors are below 0.04 across the full range 0‐1 under certain simulation conditions. In general, it is demonstrated that the retrieval errors depend on many factors (i.e., the number, N, of satellite observations, the magnitude of random and systematic measurement errors, and the number of samples used to form certain climate distributions employed in the model).

Koshak, William↗

NASA NTRS2016

Resources for Radiation Test Data

The performance of electronic devices in a space radiation environment is often limited by susceptibility to single-event effects (SEE), total ionizing dose (TID), and displacement damage (DD). Interpreting the results of SEE, TID, and DD testing of complex devices is quite difficult given the rapidly changing nature of both technology and the related radiation issues. Radiation testing is performed to establish the sensitivities of candidate spacecraft electronics to single-event upset (SEU), single-event latchup (SEL), single-event gate rupture (SEGR), single-event burnout (SEB), single-event transients (SETs), TID, and DD effects. Knowing where to search for these test results is a valuable resource for the aerospace engineer or spacecraft design engineer. This poster is intended to be a resource tool for finding radiation test data.

Single Event Effects (SEE)↗

NASA NTRS1991

Alkali metal pool boiler life tests for a 25 kWe advanced Stirling conversion system

The overall operating temperature and efficiency of solar-powered Stirling engines can be improved by adding an alkali metal pool boiler heat transport system to supply heat more uniformly to the heater head tubes. One issue with liquid metal pool boilers is unstable boiling. Stable boiling is obtained with an enhanced boiling surface containing nucleation sites that promote continuous boiling. Over longer time periods, it is possible that the boiling behavior of the system will change. An 800-h life test was conducted to verify that pool boiling with the chosen fluid/surface combination remains stable as the system ages. The apparatus uses NaK boiling on a - 100 + 140 stainless steel sintered porous layer, with the addition of a small amount of xenon. Pool boiling remained stable to the end of life test. The pool boiler life test included a total of 82 cold starts, to simulate startup each morning, and 60 warm restarts, to simulate cloud cover transients. The behavior of the cold and warm starts showed no significant changes during the life test. In the experiments, the fluid/surface combination provided stable, high-performance boiling at the operating temperature of 700 C. Based on these experiments, a pool boiler was designed for a full-scale 25-kWe Stirling system.

Anderson, W. G.↗

NASA NTRS2008

Comparison of ALE and SPH Simulations of Vertical Drop Tests of a Composite Fuselage Section into Water

Simulation of multi-terrain impact has been identified as an important research area for improved prediction of rotorcraft crashworthiness within the NASA Subsonic Rotary Wing Aeronautics Program on Rotorcraft Crashworthiness. As part of this effort, two vertical drop tests were conducted of a 5-ft-diameter composite fuselage section into water. For the first test, the fuselage section was impacted in a baseline configuration without energy absorbers. For the second test, the fuselage section was retrofitted with a composite honeycomb energy absorber. Both tests were conducted at a nominal velocity of 25-ft/s. A detailed finite element model was developed to represent each test article and water impact was simulated using both Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) and Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) approaches in LS-DYNA, a nonlinear, explicit transient dynamic finite element code. Analytical predictions were correlated with experimental data for both test configurations. In addition, studies were performed to evaluate the influence of mesh density on test-analysis correlation.

Jackson, Karen E.↗

NASA NTRS2008

5-kWe Free-piston Stirling Engine Convertor

The high reliability, long life, and efficient operation of Free-Piston Stirling Engines (FPSEs) make them an attractive power system to meet future space power requirements with less mass, better efficiency, and less total heat exchanger area than other power convertor options. FPSEs are also flexible in configuration as they can be coupled with many potential heat sources and various heat input systems, heat rejection systems, and power management and distribution systems. Development of a 5-kWe Stirling Convertor Assembly (SCA) is underway to demonstrate the viability of an FPSE for space power. The design is a scaled-down version of the successful 12.5-kWe Component Test Power Converter (CTPC) developed under NAS3-25463. The ultimate efficiency target is 25% overall convertor efficiency (electrical power out over heat in). For the single cylinder prototype now in development, cost and time constraints required use of economical and readily available materials (steel versus beryllium) and components (a commercially available linear alternator) and thus lower efficiency. The working gas is helium at 150 bar mean pressure. The design consists of a displacer suspended on internally pumped gas bearings and a power piston/alternator supported on flexures. Non-contacting clearance seals are used between internal volumes. Heat to and from the prototype convertor is done via pumped liquid loops passing through shell and tube heat exchangers. The preliminary and detail designs of the convertor, controller, and support systems (heating loop, cooling loop, and helium supply system) are complete and all hardware is on order. Assembly and test of the prototype at Foster- Miller is planned for early 2008, when work will focus on characterizing convertor dynamics and steady-state operation to determine maximum power output and system efficiency. The device will then be delivered to Auburn University where assessments will include start-up and shutdown characterization and transient response to temperature and load variations. Future activities may include testing at NASA GRC.

Chapman, Peter A.↗

NASA NTRS1995

A transient model of the RL10A-3-3A rocket engine

RL10A-3-3A rocket engines have served as the main propulsion system for Centaur upper stage vehicles since the early 1980's. This hydrogen/oxygen expander cycle engine continues to play a major role in the American launch industry. The Space Propulsion Technology Division at the NASA Lewis Research Center has created a computer model of the RL10 engine, based on detailed component analyses and available test data. This RL10 engine model can predict the performance of the engine over a wide range of operating conditions. The model may also be used to predict the effects of any proposed design changes and anticipated failure scenarios. In this paper, the results of the component analyses are discussed. Simulation results from the new system model are compared with engine test and flight data, including the start and shut-down transient characteristics.

Binder, Michael P.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Detection of signature consistent with cosmological time dilation in gamma-ray bursts

If gamma ray bursts are at cosmological distances-as suggested by their isotropic distribution on the sky and by their number-intensity relation-then the burst profiles will be stretched in time, by an amount proportional to the redshift, 1 + Z. We have tested data from the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory's (CGRO's) Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) for such time dilation. Out of 590 bursts observed by BATSE, 131 bursts were analyzed; bursts with durations shorter than 1.5 s were excluded. We used three tests to compare the timescales of bright and dim bursts, the latter, on average, being more distant than the former. Our measures of timescale are constructed to avoid selection effects arising from intensity differences by rescaling all bursts to fiducial levels of peak intensity and noise bias. (1) We found that the total rescaled count above background for the dim burst ensemble is approximately twice that for the brightest bursts-translating into longer durations for the dim bursts. (2) Wavelet-transform decompositions of the burst profiles confirmed that this dilation operates over a broad range of timescales. (3) Structure on the shortest timescales was examined using a procedure which aligns the highest peaks of profiles from which the noise has been optimally removed using a wavelet threshold technique. In all three tests, the dim bursts are stretched by a factor of approximately 2 relative to the bright ones, over seven octaves of timescale. We calibrated the measurements by dilating synthetic bursts that approximate the temporal characteristics of bright BATSE bursts. Results are consistent with bursts at BATSE's peak-flux completeness limit being at cosmological distances corresponding to Z approximately equal to 1, and thus with independent cosmological interpretations of the BATSE number-intensity relation. Alternative explanations of our results, arising from the nature of physical processes in bursts, are still possible.

Norris, J. P.↗

NASA NTRS2010

CECE: Expanding the Envelope of Deep Throttling Technology in Liquid Oxygen/Liquid Hydrogen Rocket Engines for NASA Exploration Missions

As one of the first technology development programs awarded by NASA under the Vision for Space Exploration, the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) Deep Throttling, Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine (CECE) program was selected by NASA in November 2004 to begin technology development and demonstration toward a deep throttling, cryogenic engine supporting ongoing trade studies for NASA s Lunar Lander descent stage. The CECE program leverages the maturity and previous investment of a flight-proven hydrogen/oxygen expander cycle engine, the PWR RL10, to develop and demonstrate an unprecedented combination of reliability, safety, durability, throttlability, and restart capabilities in high-energy, cryogenic, in-space propulsion. The testbed selected for the deep throttling demonstration phases of this program was a minimally modified RL10 engine, allowing for maximum current production engine commonality and extensibility with minimum program cost. Four series of demonstrator engine tests have been successfully completed between April 2006 and April 2010, accumulating 7,436 seconds of hot fire time over 47 separate tests. While the first two test series explored low power combustion (chug) and system instabilities, the third test series investigated and was ultimately successful in demonstrating several mitigating technologies for these instabilities and achieved a stable throttling ratio of 13:1. The fourth test series significantly expanded the engine s operability envelope by successfully demonstrating a closed-loop control system and extensive transient modeling to enable lower power engine starting, faster throttle ramp rates, and mission-specific ignition testing. The final hot fire test demonstrated a chug-free, minimum power level of 5.9%, corresponding to an overall 17.6:1 throttling ratio achieved. In total, these tests have provided an early technology demonstration of an enabling cryogenic propulsion concept with invaluable system-level technology data acquisition toward design and development risk mitigation for future lander descent main engines.

Giuliano, Victor J.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Thin film thermocouples for high temperature turbine application

The objective is to develop thin film thermocouples (TFTC) for Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) components such as the high pressure fuel turbopump (HPFTP) blades and to test TFTC survivability and durability in the SSME environment. The purpose for developing TFTC's for SSME components is to obtain blade temperatures for computational models developed for fluid mechanics and structures. The TFTC must be able to withstand the presence of high temperature, high pressure hydrogen as well as a severe thermal transient due to a cryogenic to combustion temperature change. The TFTC's will eventually be installed and tested on SSME propulsion system components in the SSME test bed engine. The TFTC's were successfully fabricated on flat coupons of MAR-M 246 (Hf+), which is the superalloy material used for HPFTP turbine blades. The TFTC's fabricated on flat coupons survived thermal shock cycling as well as testing in a heat flux measurement facility which provided a rapid thermal transient. The same fabrication procedure was used to deposit TFTC's on HPFTP first stage rotor blades. Other results from the experiments are presented, and future testing plans are discussed.

Martin, Lisa C.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Outer planet probe engineering model thermal vacuum test

A thermal vacuum test was performed on the engineering model of the outer planets atmospheric entry probe. Steady state runs at three simulated radioisotope heating unit loads and one transient run simulating the pre-entry power profile were made to determine the thermal characteristics of the engineering model. An analytic simulation of the model was correlated to the test data. Several steady state and one transient run were made with the model attached to the spacecraft adapter to determine the thermal interface between the model and the adapter.

Grote, M. G.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Aspirating Seal Development: Analytical Modeling and Seal Test Rig

This effort is to develop large diameter (22 - 36 inch) Aspirating Seals for application in aircraft engines. Stein Seal Co. will be fabricating the 36-inch seal(s) for testing. GE's task is to establish a thorough understanding of the operation of Aspirating Seals through analytical modeling and full-scale testing. The two primary objectives of this project are to develop the analytical models of the aspirating seal system, to upgrade using GE's funds, GE's 50-inch seal test rig for testing the Aspirating Seal (back-to-back with a corresponding brush seal), test the aspirating seal(s) for seal closure, tracking and maneuver transients (tilt) at operating pressures and temperatures, and validate the analytical model. The objective of the analytical model development is to evaluate the transient and steady-state dynamic performance characteristics of the seal designed by Stein. The transient dynamic model uses a multi-body system approach: the Stator, Seal face and the rotor are treated as individual bodies with relative degrees of freedom. Initially, the thirty-six springs are represented as a single one trying to keep open the aspirating face. Stops (Contact elements) are provided between the stator and the seal (to compensate the preload in the fully-open position) and between the rotor face and Seal face (to detect rub). The secondary seal is considered as part of the stator. The film's load, damping and stiffness characteristics as functions of pressure and clearance are evaluated using a separate (NASA) code GFACE. Initially, a laminar flow theory is used. Special two-dimensional interpolation routines are written to establish exact film load and damping values at each integration time step. Additionally, other user-routines are written to read-in actual pressure, rpm, stator-growth and rotor growth data and, later, to transfer these as appropriate loads/motions in the system-dynamic model. The transient dynamic model evaluates the various motions, clearances and forces as the seals are subjected to different aircraft maneuvers: Windmilling restart; start-ground idle; ground idle-takeoff; takeoff-burst chop, etc. Results of this model show that the seal closes appropriately and does not ram into the rotor for all of the conditions analyzed. The rig upgrade design for testing Aspirating Seals has been completed. Long lead-time items (forgings, etc.) have been ordered.

Bharat Bagepalli↗

NASA NTRS2010

Testing of an Integrated Reactor Core Simulator and Power Conversion System with Simulated Reactivity Feedback

A Direct Drive Gas-Cooled (DDG) reactor core simulator has been coupled to a Brayton Power Conversion Unit (BPCU) for integrated system testing at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, Ohio. This is a closed-cycle system that incorporates an electrically heated reactor core module, turboalternator, recuperator, and gas cooler. Nuclear fuel elements in the gas-cooled reactor design are replaced with electric resistance heaters to simulate the heat from nuclear fuel in the corresponding fast spectrum nuclear reactor. The thermodynamic transient behavior of the integrated system was the focus of this test series. In order to better mimic the integrated response of the nuclear-fueled system, a simulated reactivity feedback control loop was implemented. Core power was controlled by a point kinetics model in which the reactivity feedback was based on core temperature measurements; the neutron generation time and the temperature feedback coefficient are provided as model inputs. These dynamic system response tests demonstrate the overall capability of a non-nuclear test facility in assessing system integration issues and characterizing integrated system response times and response characteristics.

Bragg-Sitton, Shannon M.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Testing of an Integrated Reactor Core Simulator and Power Conversion System with Simulated Reactivity Feedback

A Direct Drive Gas-Cooled (DDG) reactor core simulator has been coupled to a Brayton Power Conversion Unit (BPCU) for integrated system testing at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, OH. This is a closed-cycle system that incorporates an electrically heated reactor core module, turbo alternator, recuperator, and gas cooler. Nuclear fuel elements in the gas-cooled reactor design are replaced with electric resistance heaters to simulate the heat from nuclear fuel in the corresponding fast spectrum nuclear reactor. The thermodynamic transient behavior of the integrated system was the focus of this test series. In order to better mimic the integrated response of the nuclear-fueled system, a simulated reactivity feedback control loop was implemented. Core power was controlled by a point kinetics model in which the reactivity feedback was based on core temperature measurements; the neutron generation time and the temperature feedback coefficient are provided as model inputs. These dynamic system response tests demonstrate the overall capability of a non-nuclear test facility in assessing system integration issues and characterizing integrated system response times and response characteristics.

Bragg-Sitton, Shannon M.↗

NASA NTRS2015

NASA Engineering and Safety Center Technical Bulletin No. 15-03: Best Practices for Use of Sine Vibration Testing

Sine Vibration (SV) Testing involves subjecting the test article to a swept sine input over a frequency range (typically 5-100 Hz) to replicate the low-frequency launch environment. This test method is used for various purposes on a structural model but mainly on flight articles. The SV levels are derived from measured flight data or based on interface acceleration levels from coupled loads analysis (CLA). A logarithmic sweep rate is typically used to excite a constant time interval per bandwidth for the test (e.g., 2 or 4 octave/min), which is intended to simulate sustained sine and transient events that occur during launch. Risks can be mitigated through best practices.

Best Practices↗