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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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2018

A Low SWaP-C prototype Ka-band Frequency Synthesizer for Atomic Clocks

We present a low size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) prototype circuit of a Ka-band frequency synthesizer. It takes advantage of a phase-locked loop single integrated circuit (IC) and harmonic generation with high speed CMOS gates. We use a direct digital synthesizer (DDS) IC to tune the final output with microHertz resolution. An ultra-low-power micro controller that could serve as the clock controller is used to control the PLL and the DDS. All components are commercial off the shelf (COTS) with acceptable industrial support. The total power consumption is about 1.6 Watt with -45 dBm useful output at 40.507347996 GHz. The short-term instability introduced by the prototype is 7.3E-14 at 1s. The prototyped subsystem uses COTS demonstration boards for the sake of agile prototyping. There is still significant margin for improvement of the size and weight.

Tjoelker, Robert L.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Heliophysics Environmental & Radiation Measurement Experiment Suite (HERMES): A Small External Payload for the Lunar Gateway with Big Challenges

Currently scheduled for liftoff in 2024, Gateway will be an outpost orbiting the moon for astronauts headed to and from the lunar surface and serve as a staging point for deep space exploration. In January of 2020 NASA headquarters contacted Goddard Space Flight Center to request that they develop a Heliophysics instrumentation package for Gateway. This package would later become known as HERMES-Heliophysics Environmental & Radiation Measurement Experiment Suite. HERMES consists of a Miniaturized Electron pRoton Telescope (MERIT), an Electron Electrostatic Analyzer (EEA), Solar Probe Analyzers (SPAN)-A-ions, and Noise Eliminating Magnetometer Instrument in a Small Integrated System (NEMISIS), which consists of one fluxgate and two Magneto-Inductive Magnetometers. From the beginning the HERMES mission faced a number of Challenges. It was constrained to fit in a small, half meter, cube and it was required to weigh no more than 25kg. A new boom design for the magnetometer would be required and for safety reasons it must be able to retract autonomously with power removed. To complicate matters the location of the SORI-Small ORU- (Orbital Replacement Unit) Robotics Interface, the primary interface for the HERMES platform to the Gateway elements, was undetermined. Also, the mechanical, thermal and electrical interfaces are not fully defined. The Canadian Space Agency is still in process of designing the version of the SORI that will be flown on the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) and Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) elements, each of which are being developed by different contractors. At the time of initiating the HERMES project, neither of the Gateway module providers were under contract. Additionally, we would later learn the ISS heritage SORI modules were not originally designed for launching on the Gateway elements with a payload directly attached but rather were intended to be brought up on a separate carrier outfitted with launch locks and specialized launch structures from which the robotic arm on Gateway would then be used to detach the payload and install it on the SORI adapters while on orbit. Launching the integrated Payload/SORI on the PPE and HALO elements complicates the stiffness requirements and coupled loads analysis. Adding to this are serious constraints on Field-Of-View (FOV) for solar viewing and severe radiation exposure considerations brought on by slowly raising the orbit through the Van Allen Belts. Just to make things a little more challenging the budget for the entire project was intended to be a low-cost tailored Class-D mission approach. Plus, the effects of Corona VIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) were not factored in from the beginning. This paper will discuss what’s being done to overcome these challenges and put HERMES on track for a 2024 Launch Readiness Date (LRD).

Irving Joseph Burt↗
NASA NTRS1994

Shake test results of the MDHC test stand in the 40- by 80-foot wind tunnel

A shake test was conducted to determine the modal properties of the MDHC (McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company) test stand installed in the 40- by 80- Foot Wind Tunnel at Ames Research Center. The shake test was conducted for three wind-tunnel balance configurations with and without balance dampers, and with the snubber engagement to lock the balance frame. A hydraulic shaker was used to apply random excitation at the rotor hub in the longitudinal and lateral directions. A GenRad 2515 computer-aided test system computed the frequency response functions at the rotor hub and support struts. From these response functions, the modal properties, including the natural frequency, damping ratio, and mode shape were calculated. The critical modes with low damping ratios are identified as the test-stand second longitudinal mode for the dampers-off configuration, the test-stand yaw mode for the dampers-on configuration, and the test stand first longitudinal mode for the balance-frame locked configuration.

Lau, Benton H.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Evaluation of GPS Coverage for the X-33 Michael-6 Trajectory

The onboard navigational system for the X-33 test flights will be based on the use of measurements collected from the Embedded Global Positioning System (GPS)/INS system. Some of the factors which will affect the quality of the GPS contribution to the navigational solution will be the number of pseudorange measurements collected at any instant in time, the distribution of the GPS satellites within the field of view, and the inherent noise level of the GPS receiver. The distribution of GPS satellites within the field of view of the receiver's antenna will depend on the receiver's position, the time of day, pointing direction of the antenna, and the effective cone angle of the antenna. The number of pseudorange measurements collected will depend upon these factors as well as the time required to lock onto a GPS satellite signal once the GPS satellite comes into the field of view of the antenna and the number of available receiver channels. The objective of this study is to evaluate the GPS coverage resulting from the proposed antenna pointing directions, the proposed antenna cone angles, and the effects due to the time of day for the X-33 Michael-6 trajectory from launch at Edwards AFB, California, to the start of the Terminal Area Energy Management (TAEM) phase on approach to Michael AAF, Utah.

Lundberg, John B.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Direct observation of the orientational Kerr effect in the self-focusing of picosecond pulses.

Direct measurements of the relaxation time of the birefringence within the self-focusing region of mode-locked laser pulses in several anisotropic liquids establish the importance of the orientational Kerr effect in the picosecond time regime. This result leads to some speculation as to the origin of the high degree of symmetry in the phase-modulated filament spectra observed with picosecond pulses.

Reintjes, J.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Spacecraft control section for the improved Small Astronomy Satellite (SAS)

The upgraded spacecraft control section for the Small Astronomy Satellite is able to point its thrust axis to any direction in space; it can also spin or slow its outer body rotation to zero for star-locked pointing of side viewing experiments. A programmable telemetry system and delayed command system enhance the inherent capability of a spacecraft designed to be used for a variety of experiments, each of which can be built independently and attached just prior to final acceptance testing and launch. The design of this new spacecraft, whose first launch is scheduled for 1975, is provided in sufficient detail to permit the reader to ascertain its suitability for specific experiments. A summary of the spacecraft characteristics, project reliability requirements, and environmental test conditions are included in the appendices.

Townsend, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Spacecraft control section for the improved Small Astronomy Satellite /SAS-C/

The upgraded spacecraft control section for the Small Astronomy Satellite (SAS-C) incorporates a remarkable amount of flexibility for a small satellite. Able to point its thrust axis to any direction in space, it can also spin or slow its outer body rotation to zero for star-locked pointing of side viewing experiments. A programmable telemetry system and delayed command system enhance the inherent capability of a spacecraft designed to be used for a variety of experiments, each of which can be built independently and attached just prior to final acceptance testing and launch. The design of this new spacecraft, whose first launch is scheduled for 1975, is provided in sufficient detail to permit the reader to ascertain its suitability for specific experiments.

Townsend, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The response of a 38m horizontal axis teetered rotor to yaw

Recent tests on the 38m Mod-0 100 kW horizontal axis experimental wind turbine yielded quantative data on the teeter response of a rotor to yaw. The test results indicate that yaw rates as high as 5 deg/s could be used in emergency situations to unload and slow a rotor for intermediate sized (500 kW) wind turbines. The results also show that teeter response is sensitive to the direction of yaw, and that teeter response to yaw is reduced as either the rotor speed or the blade lock number is increased.

Glasgow, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Estimating Effects of Multipath Propagation on GPS Signals

Multipath Simulator Taking into Account Reflection and Diffraction (MUSTARD) is a computer program that simulates effects of multipath propagation on received Global Positioning System (GPS) signals. MUSTARD is a very efficient means of estimating multipath-induced position and phase errors as functions of time, given the positions and orientations of GPS satellites, the GPS receiver, and any structures near the receiver as functions of time. MUSTARD traces each signal from a GPS satellite to the receiver, accounting for all possible paths the signal can take, including all paths that include reflection and/or diffraction from surfaces of structures near the receiver and on the satellite. Reflection and diffraction are modeled by use of the geometrical theory of diffraction. The multipath signals are added to the direct signal after accounting for the gain of the receiving antenna. Then, in a simulation of a delay-lock tracking loop in the receiver, the multipath-induced range and phase errors as measured by the receiver are estimated. All of these computations are performed for both right circular polarization and left circular polarization of both the L1 (1.57542-GHz) and L2 (1.2276-GHz) GPS signals.

Byun, Sung↗
NASA NTRS1987

Injection Phase-Locked Laser-Diode Array

Phase-coherent emission with negligible far-field supermodes produced by proposed surface-emitting laser-diode array stimulated by holographically directed emission from single master diode. To achieve same coherence and output power, single laser diode requires high power density, which substantially reduces working lifetime. Proposed integrated optical array useful in communications

Lesh, James R.↗
NASA NTRS1974

The standardized functional support sectional for the Small Astronomy Satellite (SAS)

The standardized functional support section for the improved Small Astronomy Satellite (SAS) spacecraft, which can be used virtually without change for a wide variety of experimental packages and missions, is described. This functional support section makes the spacecraft remarkably flexible for a small satellite. Able to point its thrust axis to any direction in space, it can also spin or slow its outer body rotation to zero for star- or earth-locked pointing of side-viewing experiments. It features a reprogrammable telemetry system, a delayed command system, and an improved control system. Experiments can be built independently and attached to the SAS spacecraft just prior to final acceptance testing and launch. The spacecraft subsystems are described in detail. Included are a summary of the spacecraft characteristics, special design considerations, project reliability requirements, and environmental test conditions. It is intended that this new functional support section afford virtual off-the-shelf availability of the SAS spacecraft to independently built experiments, thus providing quick response time and minimum cost in meeting a wide variety of experimenter needs.

Townsend, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Viscous flow drag reduction by acoustic excitation

An experimental program in which the effectiveness of a single large eddy break up (LEBU) blade is enhanced by proper acoustic excitation is described. Acoustic waves are generated in response to the incident large scale eddies and directed at the blade trailing edge through the test surface floor below the manipulator blade. The acoustic input is phase locked to the incident flow. Control of the acoustic input apparently allows enhancement of the large eddy cancellation process leading to a decrease of skin friction coefficient. Control of this process with acoustic excitation indicates that vortex unwinding is the mechanism for large eddy destruction in the boundary layer. A deeper understanding of this phenomena could lead to better drag reduction technology and further understanding of the physics of the turbulent boundary layer.

Nagel, Robert T.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Single acting translational/rotational brake

A brake system is provided that applies braking forces on surfaces in both the translational and rotational directions using a single acting self-contained actuator that travels with the translational mechanism. The brake engages a mechanical lock and creates a frictional force on the translational structure preventing translation while simultaneously creating a frictional torque that prevents rotation of the vertical support. The system may include serrations on the braking surfaces to provide increased braking forces.

Allred, Johnny W.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Modal identities for multibody elastic spacecraft: An aid to selecting modes for simulation

The question: Which set of modes furnishes a higher fidelity math model of dynamics of a multibody, deformable spacecraft (hinges-free or hinges-locked vehicle modes) is answered. Two sets of general, discretized, linear equations of motion of a spacecraft with an arbitrary number of deformable appendages, each articulated directly to the core body, are obtained using the above two families of modes. By a comparison of these equations, ten sets of modal identities are constructed which involve modal momenta coefficients and frequencies associated with both classes of modes. The sums of infinite series that appear in the identities are obtained in terms of mass, and first and second moments of inertia of the appendages, core body, and vehicle by using certain basic identities concerning appendage modes. Applying the above identities to a four-body spacecraft, the hinges-locked vehicle modes are found to yield a higher fidelity model than hinges-free modes, because the latter modes have nonconverging modal coefficients; a characteristic proved and illustrated.

Hablani, Hari B.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Investigating motion sickness using the conditioned taste aversion paradigm

The avoidance of foods which are associated with uncomfortable or aversive internal states has long been recognized. Many people are aware, either directly or via anecdotal reports, of individuals who avoid foods which were eaten just before the onset of sickness. Awareness of this phenomenon can be traced to the writings of John Locke. The disruption of diet during cancer therapy is sometimes ascribed to the attribution of an unpleasant quality to foods eaten preceding the sickness induced by therapy itself. In addition, it has long been recognized by the manufacturers of rodent poisons that animals avoid the injection of food treated with nonlethal doses of poison. An important part of the laboratory study of this phenomenon was directed toward studying the role learning plays in this type of avoidance behavior. Following the lead of Garcia and his associates, this avoidance has come to be interpreted as arising from a form of classical conditioning. In typical laboratory studies of this behavior, a novel food is ingested just prior to exposure to some stimulus, commonly poisoning or irradiation, which produces illness. Following the terminology of classical conditioning, it is common to describe this procedure as one of 'pairing' a conditioned stimulus (CS), the novel food, with an unconditioned stimulus (US), the illness induced by toxicosis or irradiation. Avoidance of the food in succeeding feeding opportunities is viewed as a learned response or a conditioned taste aversion (CTA). Garcia et al. asserted that motion sickness could produce 'gustatory' aversions, but passive motion was first reported as an US to establish CTA by Green and Rachlin. The purpose is to review the manner in which CTA has been used to study motion sickness. Numerous reviews concentrating on other aspects of CTA are available in the existing literature. Readers are encouraged to consult the various papers and edited books for extensive information on other aspects of this literature.

Robert A Fox↗
NASA NTRS1994

Radio occultation studies of the Venus atmosphere with the Magellan spacecraft. 1: Experimental description and performance

While primarily designed for radar studies of the Venus surface, the high effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) from the Magellan spacecraft makes it an ideal transmitter for use in radio occultation measurements of the refractivity and absorptivity of the Venus atmosphere. Such experiments have been conducted involving transmissions at 2.3 GHz and 8.4 GHz (13 cm and 3.6 cm, respectively), during spacecraft ingress. Since the stability of the spacecraft transmitter is critical for accurately determining the Doppler shift and amplitude attenuation created as the ray penetrates the atmosphere, the spacecraft transmitter was locked to a 2.1 GHz uplink from a 70-meter DSN station which also received the signals. Because of the high directivity of the spacecraft antenna, and the significant ray bending in the deep Venus atmosphere, a spacecraft tracking maneuver was designed to keep the spacecraft antenna pointed in the direction of the refracted ray path back to Earth. This tracking maneuver, plus the high EIRP of the Magellan transmitter has yielded 3.6 cm refractivity and absorptivity profiles down to the 35 km altitude and 13 cm profiles down to the altitude of critical refraction (approximately 33 km). The statistical uncertainties in the derived profiles are significantly lower than those previously obtained, resulting in extremely accurate profiles of H2SO4 (g) abundance as discussed in an accompanying paper.

Steffes, Paul G.↗
NASA NTRS2003

3-D sprag ratcheting tool

A ratcheting device comprising a driver head assembly which includes at least two 3-D sprag elements positioned within a first groove within the driver head assembly such that at least one of the 3-D sprag elements may lockingly engage the driver head assembly and a mating hub assembly to allow for rotation of the hub assembly in one direction with respect to the driver head assembly. This arrangement allows the ratcheting tool to impart torque in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction without having to first rotate the ratcheting tool in the direction opposite the direction in which the torque is applied. This arrangement also allows the ratcheting tool to impart torque in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction while in the neutral position.

Wade, Michael O.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Three-dimensional roller locking sprags

A torque coupling sprag system which provides contact between the sides of at least one groove and at least two contact surfaces angled with respect to the central axial direction of at least one rotatable 3-D sprag member located between a drive member and a reaction member. The surface contacts between the members include various combinations of surface segments arranged in a predetermined manner to define a desired configuration. The contact radius of the 3-D sprag member is significantly larger than its rolling radius; however, radii can be varied in size and shape independently of each other, particularly the contact radius.

Vranish, John M.↗