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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 631 records · Page 35
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NASA NTRS2019

Numerical Study of Lander Engine Plume Impingement on the Surface of Europa

Plume exhaust from lander engines would be of concern when landing on the surface of Europa since it could have detrimental effects on both the landing surface and powered descent vehicle. The plume could also entrain particles and redirect them up toward the landing vehicle, as well as erode and contaminate the surface where science would be conducted. In this work, a numerical methodology is developed and validated to conduct a first-order assessment of individual engine plumes of a potential Europa Lander vehicle. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is used to solve the flow field inside and immediately downstream of the nozzle, while the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is applied further downstream where the flow becomes rarefied. An interface between the two domains is defined where macroscopic flow data is passed from the CFD domain to the DSMC domain, establishing a one-way coupling. Plume pressure and velocity fields, as well as ground heating, pressure and density flux profiles, are obtained at altitudes from 25 m down to 10 m, spanning the final stages of landing. The codes and methodologies used in this study are successfully validated with simulations conducted by Morris et al. of the Apollo Lunar Module Descent Engine (LMDE) exhaust plume impinging onto the lunar surface.

Lam, Rebekah↗
NASA NTRS2000

VCL Laser Altimeter Surface Return Expected Geolocation Performance

The Vegetation Canopy Lidar (VCL) mission, expected to launch in the spring of 2002, will carry a unique Multi-Beam Laser Altimeter (MBLA) instrument designed to observe vegetative canopy structure for a nominal mission duration of 2 years. The VCL MBLA is a three-beam instrument where each laser is capable of producing returns with 30-m along-track spacing and 25-m-diameter footprints. Identifying the precise location of the point on the Earth's surface from which the laser energy reflects is a critical issue in the validation and application of the data. The resultant geolocation accuracy is dependent on the performance of many components of the VCL system including: laser pulse round trip travel time observation to surface, navigation tracking data, attitude determination system data, timing, laser pointing and body orientation stability, knowledge of instrument and navigation tracking point positions, media and geophysical corrections. Additionally, it is critical to calibrate on-orbit instrument parameters including pointing and range corrections. The geolocation and calibration methodology and algorithms will be summarized. A detailed geolocation error analysis identifying the contributions from each system component, along with the resultant expected geolocation accuracy, will be presented. A brief discussion of the operational geolocation process will also be presented. Science and data validation implications from geolocation performance will be summarized.

Luthcke, S. B.↗
NASA NTRS2023

Towards an Indian Land Data Assimilation System (ILDAS): A Coupled Hydrologic-Hydraulic System for Water Balance Assessments

Effective management of water resources requires reliable estimates of land surface states and fluxes, including water balance components. But most land surface models run in uncoupled mode and do not produce river discharge at catchment scales to be useful for water resources management applications. Such integrated systems are also rare over India where hydrometeorological extremes have wreaked havoc on the economy and people. So, an Indian Land Data Assimilation System (ILDAS) with a coupled land surface and a hydrodynamic model has been developed and driven by multiple meteorological forcings (0.1°, daily) to estimate land surface states, channel discharge, and floodplain inundation. ILDAS benefits from an integrated framework as well as the largest suite of observation records collected over India and has been used to produce a reanalysis product for 1981–2021 using four forcing datasets, namely, Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2), Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS), ECMWF’s ERA-5, and Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) gridded precipitation. We assessed the uncertainty and bias in these precipitation datasets and validated all major components of the terrestrial water balance, i.e., surface runoff, soil moisture, terrestrial water storage anomalies, evapotranspiration, and streamflow, against a combination of satellite and in situ observation datasets. Our assessment shows that ILDAS can represent the hydrological processes reasonably well over the Indian landmass with IMD precipitation showing the best relative performance. Evaluation against ESA-CCI soil moisture shows that MERRA-2 based estimates outperform the others, whereas ERA-5 performs best in simulating evapotranspiration when evaluated against MODIS ET. Evaluations against observed records show that CHIRPS-based estimates have the highest performance in reconstructing surface runoff and streamflow. Once operational, this system will be useful for supporting transboundary water management decision making in the region.

Indian Land Data Assimilation System (ILDAS)↗
NASA NTRS2006

March 2003 EOS Aqua AMSR-E Arctic Sea Ice Field Campaign

An overview of the March 2003 coordinated sea ice field campaign in the Alaskan Arctic is presented with reference to the papers in this special section. This campaign is part of the program to validate the Aqua Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) sea ice products. Standard AMSR-E sea ice products include sea ice concentration, sea ice temperature, and snow depth on sea ice. The validation program consists of three elements, namely: 1) satellite data comparisons; 2) coordinated satellite/aircraft surface measurements; and 3) modeling and sensitivity analyses. Landsat-7 and RADARSAT observations were used in comparative studies with the retrieved AMSR-E sea ice concentrations. The aircraft sensors provided high-resolution microwave imagery of the surface, atmospheric profiles of temperature and humidity, and digital records of sea ice conditions. When combined with in situ measurements, aircraft data were used to validate the AMSR-E sea ice temperature and snow-depth products. The modeling studies helped interpret the field-data comparisons, provided insight on the limitations of the AMSR-E sea ice algorithms, and suggested potential improvements to the AMSR-E retrieval algorithms.

Cavalieri, Donald J.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Assessing Uncertainties and Variability 34 Years of Surface Radiative Fluxes Using GEWEX SRB Release4-IP

The NASA/GEWEX Surface Radiation Budget (SRB) project produces 3-hrly shortwave and longwave surface and top of atmosphere radiative fluxes for the 1983-near present time period. The new Release 4 Integrated Product (IP) uses the newly recalibrated and processed ISCCP HXS product as its primary input for cloud and radiance data, replacing ISCCP DX with a ninefold increase in pixel count (10 km instead of 30 km). This first version retains a 1°x1° resolution enabling intercomparison against previous versions and other data sets such as CERES, but spans 34 years from July 1983 through June 2017 and was announced by Kummerow et al. 2019 (GEWEX News). This new IP product also uses an atmospheric temperature and moisture dataset known as nnHIRS and other parameters such as near surface and skin temperatures from SeaFlux and LandFlux data sets. In addition to the input data improvements, several important algorithm improvements have been made since Release 3. These include recalculated SW atmospheric transmissivities and reflectivities, updated ocean and snow/ice albedos, and variable total solar irradiance consistent with SORCE measurements. The LW code has been updated to improve the optical property treatment for clouds and aerosols are included in this version. Radiative treatment of ice clouds is also improved in the LW. The variable aerosol optical properties for the SW and LW are specified using a detailed aerosol history from the Max Planck Institute Aerosol Climatology (MAC). Here we present an assessment of the LW radiative fluxes and the uncertainty of those fluxes relative to the various inputs to surface SW/LW flux measurements from BSRN and PMEL buoys measurements. We review the validation of the SW and LW fluxes and then in terms of time series and then assess the products in terms of their long-term variability of the surface SW and LW net fluxes compared to multiple other data products including atmospheric reanalysis products. The comparisons of radiative estimates to observations are performed at various temporal scales and aimed at investigation of agreement at longer time averages but accessing potential change in diurnal magnitude and daily variability. Utilizing this uncertainty information, to access long-term variability of surface radiation components at selected region and global scales, considering satellite sampling/calibration “artifacts” as necessary. At the longer time scales, the net SW and net LW the TOA and surface have implications toward closure of the energy budgets at the surface, we assess these compared to other studies on energy budget closure for the same selected global and regional scales.

Paul W Stackhouse↗
NASA NTRS1970

Evaluation of nonmetallic thermal protection materials for the manned space shuttle. Volume 1, task 1: Assessment of technical risks associated with utilization of nonmetallic thermal protection system

Technical problems of design and flight qualification of the proposed classes of surface insulation materials and leading edge materials were reviewed. A screening test plan, a preliminary design data test plan and a design data test plan were outlined. This program defined the apparent critical differences between the surface insulators and the leading edge materials, structuring specialized screening test plans for each of these two classes of materials. Unique testing techniques were shown to be important in evaluating the structural interaction aspects of the surface insulators and a separate task was defined to validate the test plan. In addition, a compilation was made of available information on proposed material (including metallic TPS), previous shuttle programs, pertinent test procedures, and other national programs of merit. This material was collected and summarized in an informally structured workbook.

Wilkinson, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS1973

On the properties of matter in neutron stars

A qualitative description of the interior of a neutron star is presented, giving attention also to the validity of the 'isotropic fluid' approximation. The atmosphere and surface of a neutron star are considered together with aspects concerning nuclear and solid state physics in the crust, the liquid interior, the hyperon core, neutron star models, and pulsar observations. Accretion processes are also investigated, taking into account such topics as the Eddington limit, accretion rates, the death of pulsars, changes of the surface composition of neutron stars by accretion, questions of X-ray emission, and aspects of gamma radiation emission.

Boerner, G.↗
NASA NTRS1982

An evaluation of Space Shuttle STS-1 payload bay acoustic data and comparison with predictions

During the first launch (STS-1) of the Space Shuttle orbiter vehicle, sound pressure levels were measured at several locations in the payload bay of the vehicle and on the exterior surface. The data were obtained in order to provide validation for prediction procedures for interior and exterior sound pressure levels and to determine, independently, the acoustic environment in the payload bay during actual launch conditions.

Wilby, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Creep crack-growth: A new path-independent integral (T sub c), and computational studies

The development of valid creep fracture criteria is considered. Two path-independent integral parameters which show some degree of promise are the C* and (Delta T)sub c integrals. The mathematical aspects of these parameters are reviewed by deriving generalized vector forms of the parameters using conservation laws which are valid for arbitrary, three dimensional, cracked bodies with crack surface tractions (or applied displacements), body forces, inertial effects, and large deformations. Two principal conclusions are that (Delta T)sub c has an energy rate interpretation whereas C* does not. The development and application of fracture criteria often involves the solution of boundary/initial value problems associated with deformation and stresses. The finite element method is used for this purpose. An efficient, small displacement, infinitesimal strain, displacement based finite element model is specialized to two dimensional plane stress and plane strain and to power law creep constitutive relations. A mesh shifting/remeshing procedure is used for simulating crack growth. The model is implemented with the quartz-point node technique and also with specially developed, conforming, crack-tip singularity elements which provide for the r to the n-(1+n) power strain singularity associated with the HRR crack-tip field. Comparisons are made with a variety of analytical solutions and alternate numerical solutions for a number of problems.

Stonesifer, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Analysis of the surface load and radiated sound of a vibrating airfoil with application to the experiment of Brooks

A method is developed for calculating the surface load and radiated sound from a vibrating surface in a compressible viscous fluid. The method is applied to a thin two-dimensional elliptic cross-section. For large values of the viscous diffusion parameter, the surface load tends to an elliptic distribution in agreement with the results of inviscid theory when edge pressure continuity is enforced. For thin surfaces, the surface load is insensitive to variations in the thickness ratio. A three-dimensional spectral technique is developed to calculate the inviscid surface load and radiated sound from a thin vibrating airfoil. The inviscid theory predicts the correct form of the far field sound pressure and its phase. The actual levels are somewhat sensitive to the choice of theoretical spanwise surface pressure mode but are in better agreement with the experiment than the surface pressure. The comparison of theoretical and experimental surface pressure indicates that the viscous theory, used to validate the inviscid theory, is either inadequate or there is a source of experimental error.

Yates, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Data report on variations in the composition of sea ice during MIZEX/East'83 with the Nimbus-7 SMMR

Data acquired with the scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) on board the Nimbus-7 satellite for a six-week period including the 1983 MIZEX in Fram Strait were analyzed with the use of a previously developed procedure for calculating sea ice concentration, multiyear fraction, and ice temperature. These calculations can compared with independent observations made on the surface and from aircraft in order to check the validity of the calculations based on SMMR data. The calculation of multiyear fraction, which was known earlier to be invalid near the melting point of sea ice, was of particular interest during this period. The indication of multiyear ice was found to disappear a number of times, presumably corresponding to freeze/thaw cycles which occurred in this time period. Both grid-print maps and grey-scale images of total sea ice concentration and multiyear sea ice fraction for the entire period are included.

Gloersen, P.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Longwave cloud radiative forcing at the surface from ISCCP-C1 data

A method for deriving one component of the total cloud forcing picture, namely, the LW cloud forcing at the surface, is presented. The method is based on a validated radiative transfer technique and utilizes meteorological data available from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project. The radiative transfer model used was validated earlier and the TOVS-derived temperature and water vapor data used were generally reasonable. On a monthly-average basis, random error was estimated to be in the 5-10 W/sq m range, but biases as large as 10-20 W/sq m can occur in some regions. The lack of information on cloud-base heights were found to be the largest source of errors in the models and the meteorological data.

Gupta, Shashi K.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Remote sensing of cirrus cloud optical and microphysical properties using AVHRR data

The importance of understanding the radiative and microphysical properties of cirrus clouds in weather and climate research has been articulated by Liou (1986). This importance has also been recognized in view of the intensive field observations that have been conducted as a major component of the First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) in October-November 1986 (Starr 1987) and more recently in November-December 1991 (FIRE-II) as well as the European experiments on cirrus (ICE/EUCREX) that has been carried out in 1989. One of the fundamental objectives of the FIRE program has been and is to apply the field campaign and theoretical results to develop and verify improved techniques for the inference of cloud radiative and microphysical properties from satellite and surface-based data. A program is designed for the validation of the satellite retrived optical depth and mean effective ice crystal size utilizing in situ replicator observations for ice crystal size distributions and shapes. To minimize the effect of the horizontal size variability of the microphysical structure and the problem associated with collocation and coincidence, an averaging procedures was developed for both the satellite retrieved cloud parameters and the measured ice crystal data.

Liou, K. N.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Satellite Analysis of Ocean Biogeochemistry and Mesoscale Variability in the Sargasso Sea

The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of spatial variability on the time-series of biogeochemical measurements made at the U.S. JGOFS Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site. Originally the study was planned to use SeaWiFS as well as AVHRR high-resolution data. Despite the SeaWiFS delays we were able to make progress on the following fronts: (1) Operational acquisition, processing, and archive of HRPT data from a ground station located in Bermuda; (2) Validation of AVHRR SST data using BATS time-series and spatial validation cruise CTD data; (3) Use of AVHRR sea surface temperature imagery and ancillary data to assess the impact of mesoscale spatial variability on P(CO2) and carbon flux in the Sargasso Sea; (4) Spatial and temporal extent of tropical cyclone induced surface modifications; and (5) Assessment of eddy variability using TOPEX/Poseidon data.

Siegel, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Preliminary Design and Analysis of the GIFTS Instrument Pointing System

The Geosynchronous Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS) Instrument is the next generation spectrometer for remote sensing weather satellites. The GIFTS instrument will be used to perform scans of the Earth s atmosphere by assembling a series of field-of- views (FOV) into a larger pattern. Realization of this process is achieved by step scanning the instrument FOV in a contiguous fashion across any desired portion of the visible Earth. A 2.3 arc second pointing stability, with respect to the scanning instrument, must be maintained for the duration of the FOV scan. A star tracker producing attitude data at 100 Hz rate will be used by the autonomous pointing algorithm to precisely track target FOV s on the surface of the Earth. The main objective is to validate the pointing algorithm in the presence of spacecraft disturbances and determine acceptable disturbance limits from expected noise sources. Proof of concept validation of the pointing system algorithm is carried out with a full system simulation developed using Matlab Simulink. Models for the following components function within the full system simulation: inertial reference unit (IRU), attitude control system (ACS), reaction wheels, star tracker, and mirror controller. With the spacecraft orbital position and attitude maintained to within specified limits the pointing algorithm receives quaternion, ephemeris, and initialization data that are used to construct the required mirror pointing commands at a 100 Hz rate. This comprehensive simulation will also aid in obtaining a thorough understanding of spacecraft disturbances and other sources of pointing system errors. Parameter sensitivity studies and disturbance analysis will be used to obtain limits of operability for the GIFTS instrument. The culmination of this simulation development and analysis will be used to validate the specified performance requirements outlined for this instrument.

Zomkowski, Paul P.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Measurements of Unsteady Wake Interference Between Tandem Cylinders

A multi-phase, experimental study in the Basic Aerodynamics Research Tunnel at the NASA Langley Research Center has provided new insight into the unsteady flow interaction around cylinders in tandem arrangement. Phase 1 of the study characterized the mean and unsteady near-field flow around two cylinders of equal diameter using 2-D Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and hot-wire anemometry. These measurements were performed at a Reynolds number of 1.66 x 10(exp 5), based on cylinder diameter, and spacing-to-diameter ratios, L/D, of 1.435 and 3.7. The current phase, Phase 2, augments this dataset by characterizing the surface flow on the same configurations using steady and unsteady pressure measurements and surface flow visualization. Transition strips were applied to the front cylinder during both phases to produce a turbulent boundary layer upstream of the flow separation. For these flow conditions and L/D ratios, surface pressures on both the front and rear cylinders show the effects of L/D on flow symmetry, pressure recovery, and the location of flow separation and attachment. Mean streamlines and instantaneous vorticity obtained from the PIV data are used to explain the flow structure in the gap and near-wake regions and its relationship to the unsteady surface pressures. The combination of off-body and surface measurements provides a comprehensive dataset to develop and validate computational techniques for predicting the unsteady flow field at higher Reynolds numbers.

Jenkins, Luther N.↗
NASA NTRS2007

New 5 Kilowatt Free-Piston Stirling Space Convertor Developments

NASA has recently funded development of a 5 kW (or greater) free-piston Stirling conversion system for reactor power systems. A nominal 5 kW convertor allows two of these units to be dynamically balanced. A group of three dual-convertor combinations would yield the desired 30 kW. The status of this program will be presented. Goals include a specific power in excess of 140 W/kg at the convertor level, lifetime in excess of five years and AC output. The initial step is the design and development of a nominal 5 kW per cylinder Stirling convertor assembly (SCA) which will serve as a prototype of one or more SCAs that will make up the final 30 kW Stirling Convertor Power System. Assumed requirements for this new convertor for lunar fission power systems will be presented. The primary objective of this development effort will be to demonstrate a 5 kW SCA that can be tested to validate the viability of Stirling technology for space fission surface power systems.

Brandhorst, Henry W.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Methods of Optimizing X-Ray Optical Prescriptions for Wide-Field Applications

We are working on the development of a method for optimizing wide-field x-ray telescope mirror prescriptions, including polynomial coefficients, mirror shell relative displacements, and (assuming 4 focal plane detectors) detector placement and tilt that does not require a search through the multi-dimensional parameter space. Under the assumption that the parameters are small enough that second order expansions are valid, we show that the performance at the detector surface can be expressed as a quadratic function of the parameters with numerical coefficients derived from a ray trace through the underlying Wolter I optic. The best values for the parameters are found by solving the linear system of equations creating by setting derivatives of this function with respect to each parameter to zero. We describe the present status of this development effort.

Elsner, R. F.↗