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At least 595 records · Page 33

An assessment of the future roles of the National Transonic Facility and the Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel in aeroelastic and unsteady aerodynamic testing

The characteristics and capabilities of the two tunnels, that relate to studies in the fields of aeroelasticity and unsteady aerodynamics are discussed. Scaling considerations for aeroelasticity and unsteady aerodynamics testing in the two facilities are reviewed, and some of the special features (or lack thereof) of the Langley Research Center Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT) and the National Transonic Facility (NTF) that will weigh heavily in any decisions conducting a given study in the two tunnels are discussed. For illustrative purposes a fighter and a transport airplane are scaled for tests in the NTF and in the TDT, and the resulting model characteristics are compared. The NTF was designed specifically to meet the need for higher Reynolds number capability for flow simulation in aerodynamic performance testing of aircraft designs. However, the NTF can be a valuable tool for evaluating the severity of Reynolds number effects in the areas of dynamic aeroelasticity and unsteady aerodynamics. On the other hand, the TDT was constructed specifically for studies and tests in the field of aeroelasticity. Except for tests requiring the Reynolds number capability of NTF, the TDT will remain the primary facility for tests of dynamic aeroelasticity and unsteady aerodynamics.

Hanson, P. W.↗

Satellite remote sensing facility for oceanograhic applications

The project organization, design process, and construction of a Remote Sensing Facility at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at LaJolla, California are described. The facility is capable of receiving, processing, and displaying oceanographic data received from satellites. Data are primarily imaging data representing the multispectral ocean emissions and reflectances, and are accumulated during 8 to 10 minute satellite passes over the California coast. The most important feature of the facility is the reception and processing of satellite data in real time, allowing investigators to direct ships to areas of interest for on-site verifications and experiments.

Evans, R. H.↗

Description of the warm core turbine facility recently installed at NASA Lewis Research Center

The two net facilities were installed and operated at their design, or rated conditions. The important feature of both of these facilities is that the ratio of turbine inlet temperature to coolant temperature encountered in high temperature engines can be duplicated at moderate turbine inlet temperature. The limits of the facilities with regard to maximum temperature, maximum pressure, maximum mass flow rate, turbine size, and dynamometer torque-speed characteristics are discussed.

Whitney, W. J.↗

Mars ultraviolet simulation facility

A facility was established for long-duration ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure of natural and synthetic materials in order to test hypotheses concerning Martian soil chemistry observed by the Viking Mars landers. The system utilized a 2500 watt xenon lamp as the radiation source, with the beam passing through a heat-dissipating water filter before impinging upon an exposure chamber containing the samples to be irradiated. The chamber was designed to allow for continuous tumbling of the samples, maintenance of temperatures below 0 C during exposure, and monitoring of beam intensity. The facility also provided for sample preparation under a variety of atmospheric conditions, in addition to the Mars nominal. As many as 33 sealed sample ampules have been irradiated in a single exposure. Over 100 samples have been irradiated for approximately 100 to 700 h. The facility has performed well in providing continuous UV irradiation of multiple samples for long periods of time under simulated Mars atmospheric and thermal conditions.

Zill, L. P.↗

Shuttle remote manipulator system hardware test facility

The shuttle remote manipulator (RMS) is designed and built for operations in a zero gravity environment. As such, the ground test facility for the integrated RMS must simulate conditions which support verification of the overall system performance. In order to allow ground test operations, a test facility was constructed with an area of 60 ft. x 120 ft. and extremely tight tolerances on floor flatness and slope. An air bearing support structure was designed for the RMS to operate with 4 degrees of freedom. The RMS system test facility and systems tests conducted to date are described.

Wagner-Bartak, C. G.↗

A radiant heating test facility for space shuttle orbiter thermal protection system certification

A large scale radiant heating test facility was constructed so that thermal certification tests can be performed on the new generation of thermal protection systems developed for the space shuttle orbiter. This facility simulates surface thermal gradients, onorbit cold-soak temperatures down to 200 K, entry heating temperatures to 1710 K in an oxidizing environment, and the dynamic entry pressure environment. The capabilities of the facility and the development of new test equipment are presented.

Sherborne, W. D.↗

Facility produced charge-exchange ions

These facility produced ions are created by charge-exchange collisions between neutral atoms and energetic thruster beam ions. The result of the electron transfer is an energetic neutral atom and an ion of only thermal energy. There are true charge-exchange ions produced by collisions with neutrals escaping from the ion thruster and being charge-exchange ionized before the neutral intercepts the tank wall. The facility produced charge-exchange ions will not exist in space and therefore, represent a source of error where measurements involving ion thruster plasmas and their density are involved. The quantity of facility produced ions in a test chamber with a 30 cm mercury ion thruster was determined.

Carruth, M. R., Jr.↗

Coal gasification systems engineering and analysis. Appendix C: Alternate product facility designs

The study of the production of methane, methanol, gasoline, and hydrogen by an add-on facility to a Koppers-Totzek based MBG plant is presented. Applications to a Texaco facility are inferred by evaluation of delta effects from the K-T cases. The production of methane from an add-on facility to a Lurgi based MBG plant and the co-production of methane and methanol from a Lurgi based system is studied. Studies are included of the production of methane from up to 50 percent of the MBG produced in an integrated K-T based plant and the production of methane from up to 50 percent of the MBG produced from an integrated plant in which module 1 is based on K-T technology and modules 2, 3, and 4 are based on Texaco technology.

Source record↗

The NTF as a national facility

The future evolution of the NTF as a national facility was discussed. The aerodynamic test facility is charged with maintaining the test data and operating the facility with maximum productivity to increase the utility as well as to minimize the test costs. Efforts are under way to increase productivity of the wind tunnels. The future developments needed include: (1) the elimination of wall interference uncertainties; (2) the elimination of minimization of sting interference; and (3) the achievement of free air quality low turbulence airflow. Research in the wall interference area, smart walls, is reported.

Brown, C. E.↗

Structural dynamics verification facility study

The need for a structural dynamics verification facility to support structures programs was studied. Most of the industry operated facilities are used for highly focused research, component development, and problem solving, and are not used for the generic understanding of the coupled dynamic response of major engine subsystems. Capabilities for the proposed facility include: the ability to both excite and measure coupled structural dynamic response of elastic blades on elastic shafting, the mechanical simulation of various dynamical loadings representative of those seen in operating engines, and the measurement of engine dynamic deflections and interface forces caused by alternative engine mounting configurations and compliances.

Kiraly, L. J.↗

Requirements and preliminary concept of a Zero-Gravity Combustion Facility for Spacelab

This paper describes the preliminary concept, specifications, and requirements of a reusable Zero-Gravity Combustion Facility for use by experimenters aboard the Spacelab payload of the Space Transportation System Orbiter. The proposed facility allows a wide variety of combustion research experiments, from rapid burning to long term smoldering, in a low gravity environment. Included is the philosophy behind the design, the basic facility concept itself, and a description of the hardware required to implement the concept.

Dewitt, R. L.↗

A dedicated 26-m SETI sky survey instrument facility: A feasibility study

The feasibility of converting a deactivated GSTDN 26 m facility into a dedicated SETI Instrument Facility is examined. Additional benefits that would accrue from the proposed utilization of these facilities are the capability for remote and control the Deep Space Communications Complex (DSCC) Signal Processing Center, combined with a reduction in ground-induced radio frequency interference due to the physical distance to the other DSCC front end areas and the Signal Processing Center.

Berman, A. L.↗

Lewis Research Center's coal-fired, pressurized, fluidized-bed reactor test facility

A 200-kilowatt-thermal, pressurized, fluidized-bed (PFB) reactor, research test facility was designed, constructed, and operated as part of a NASA-funded project to assess and evaluate the effect of PFB hot-gas effluent on aircraft turbine engine materials that might have applications in stationary-power-plant turbogenerators. Some of the techniques and components developed for this PFB system are described. One of the more important items was the development of a two-in-one, gas-solids separator that removed 95+ percent of the solids in 1600 F to 1900 F gases. Another was a coal and sorbent feed and mixing system for injecting the fuel into the pressurized combustor. Also important were the controls and data-acquisition systems that enabled one person to operate the entire facility. The solid, liquid, and gas sub-systems all had problems that were solved over the 2-year operating time of the facility, which culminated in a 400-hour, hot-gas, turbine test.

Kobak, J. A.↗

Spacecraft charging technology in the satellite X-ray test facility

A satellite X-ray test facility (SXTF) is planned for studying system generated electromagnetic pulse effects on full scale, operational spacecraft. The environment created by a distant, high altitude nuclear burst can be simulated using pulsed X-ray sources. The facility is to be installed in a thermal vacuum chamber with dimensions greater then 10 m diameter and 20 m height and equipped with solar simulators and equipment for simulating the charging environment of space. The spacecraft charging system consists of several low energy electron and hydrogen ion sources (5-25 keV), one or two medium energy electron accelerators (150-300 keV), an array of vacuum ultraviolet lamps, and geomagnetic field suppression coils. Military, scientific, and commercial spacecraft can be tested before launching into the radiation environment of space. construction of SXTF is scheduled to begin in 1982 and the facility should be available for general use in 1984. Potential users are encouraged to express their needs for specific testing environments in SXTF.

Sponaugle, T. J.↗

Effect of facility variation on the acoustic characteristics of three single stream nozzles

The characteristics of the jet noise produced by three single stream nozzles were investigated statistically at the NASA-Lewis Research Center outdoor jet acoustic facility. The nozzles consisted of a 7.6 cm diameter convergent conical, a 10.2 cm diameter convergent conical and an 8-lobe daisy nozzle with 7.6 cm equivalent diameter flow area. The same nozzles were tested previously at cold flow conditions in other facilities such as the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) 7.3 m acoustic wind tunnel. The acoustic experiments at NASA covered pressure ratios from 1.4 to 2.5 at total temperatures of 811 K and ambient. The data obtained with four different microphone arrays are compared. The results are also compared with data taken at the RAE facility and with a NASA prediction procedure.

Gutierrez, O. A.↗

Photovoltaic Systems Test Facilities: Existing capabilities compilation

A general description of photovoltaic systems test facilities (PV-STFs) operated under the U.S. Department of Energy's photovoltaics program is given. Descriptions of a number of privately operated facilities having test capabilities appropriate to photovoltaic hardware development are given. A summary of specific, representative test capabilities at the system and subsystem level is presented for each listed facility. The range of system and subsystem test capabilities available to serve the needs of both the photovoltaics program and the private sector photovoltaics industry is given.

Volkmer, K.↗

A unique flight test facility - Description and results

The Dryden Flight Research Facility has developed a unique research facility for conducting aerodynamic and fluid mechanics experiments in flight. A low aspect ratio fin, referred to as the flight test fixture (FTF), is mounted on the underside of the fuselage of an F-104G aircraft. The F-104/FTF facility is described, and the capabilities are discussed. The capabilities include (1) a large Mach number envelope (0.4 to 2.0), including the region through Mach 1.0; (2) the potential ability to test articles larger than those that can be tested in wind tunnels; (3) the large chord Reynolds number envelope (greater than 40 million); and (4) the ability to define small increments in friction drag between two test surfaces. Data are presented from experiments that demonstrate some of the capabilities of the FTF, including the shuttle thermal protection system airload tests, instrument development, and base drag studies. Proposed skin friction experiments and instrument evaluation studies are also discussed.

Meyer, R. R., Jr.↗