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Results for “long-term cycling”

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

Creep-rupture behavior of candidate Stirling engine alloys after long-term aging at 760 deg C in low-pressure hydrogen

Nine candidate Stirling automotive engine alloys were aged at 760 C for 3500 hr in low pressure hydrogen or argon to determine the resulting effects on mechanical behavior. Candidate heater head tube alloys were CG-27, W545, 12RN72, INCONEL-718, and HS-188 while candidate cast cylinder-regenerator housing alloys were SA-F11, CRM-6D, XF-818, and HS-31. Aging per se is detrimental to the creep rupture and tensile strengths of the iron base alloys. The presence of hydrogen does not significantly contribute to strength degradation. Based percent highway driving cycle; CG-27 has adequate 3500 hr - 870 C creep rupture strength and SA-Fll, CRM-6D, and XF-818 have adequate 3500 hr - 775 C creep rupture strength.

Titran, R. H.↗

Enzymatic capacities of skeletal muscle - Effects of different types of training

Long-term adaptation mechanisms to maintain homeostasis at increased levels of exertion such as those caused by regular exercise are described. Mitochondrial changes have been found to be a result of endurance exercises, while mitochondrial responses to other types of exercise are small. Further discussion is devoted to long-term changes in glucose transport, hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase, and the increased sensitivity of an endurance trained muscle to insulin. Less lactate has been found to be produced by the skeletal muscles at the same work rate after adaptation to endurance exercise training, and the capacity for the flux of the two-carbon acetyl chain through the citric acid cycle increases in skeletal muscles in response to endurance training. Finally, endurance training is noted to result in glycogen sparing and an increase in the capacity to utilize fatty acids.

Booth, F. W.↗

On the interaction between the quasi-2-day wave and the mean flow

Studies of the quasi-2-day wave show that it is a summertime phenomenon. Long-term measurement of the winds in the 60 to 100 km height range at Adelaide show that the wave appears in the late December but that the peak amplitudes are not reached until mid-January. In the summer of 1983 to 1984 the main phase of the wave appeared as a pulse in mid-January which lasted about 7 cycles (14 days). Little or no amplification with height was observed; peak amplitudes were about 60 m/s for the meridional and 20 m/s for the zonal component. Coincident with the onset of the pulse, a temporary but substantial change occurred throughout a deep layer of the upper mesosphere over a period of about 3 days. A change of more than 10 m/s occurred in the northward flow while the change in the zonal flow (about 30 m/s westward) actually caused a reversal of the prevailing zonal circulation.

Craig, R. L.↗

Characterization of the 20-Ah nickel-cadmium cell used for energy storage on the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory

Tests were conducted on 20-Ah sealed nickel cadmium cells to evaluate initial and long-term performance at various charge rates, temperatures and voltage-control levels. An average ampere-hour recharge of 103 percent per orbit at 13 C was able to maintain cell capacity; required watt-hour recharge on an orbital basis was 8 to 10 percent greater than required ampere-hour recharge. Cells exhibited an early life burn-in characteristic. A discharge after periods of repetitive cycling yielded two voltage plateaus which were temporarily eliminated by the discharge.

Ford, F. E.↗

Effect of space environment on space-based radar phased-array antenna (A0133)

Kapton polyimide film was selected as the baseline material for the Grumman spce based radar (SBR) concept. To gain the requisite confidence for long-term service durability, it is desirable to subject material specimens as well as a portion of the SBR antenna directly to the combined space environment and compare property degradation to that caused by laboratory simulation. The overall objective of this program is to evauate the effect of the space environment on polymeric materials currently being considered for the Grumman SBR Phased-Array Antenna. Degradation mechanisms caused by thermal cycling, ultraviolet and charged-particle irradiation, applied load, and high-voltage plasma interaction will be evaluated. The experiment occupies a 6-in.-deep end corner tray located on the space end of the Long Duration Exposure Facility and consists of both passive and active parts. The passive part addresses the effect of environment and stress on the dimensional stability spliced and continuous Kapton, both plain and reinforced. The active part will study the interaction of high voltage and low-Earth-orbit plasma.

Delasi, R. J.↗

Characterizing land processes in the biosphere

NASA long-term planning for the satellite remote sensing of land areas is discussed from the perspective of a holistic interdisciplinary approach to the study of the biosphere. The earth is characterized as a biogeochemical system; the impact of human activity on this system is considered; and the primary scientific goals for their study are defined. Remote-sensing programs are seen as essential in gaining an improved understanding of energy budgets, the hydrological cycle, other biogeological cycles, and the coupling between these cycles, with the construction of a global data base and eventually the development of predictive simulation models which can be used to assess the impact of planned human activities. Current sensor development at NASA includes a multilinear array for the visible and IR and the L-band Shuttle Imaging Radar B, both to be flown on Shuttle missions in the near future; for the 1990s, a large essentially permanent man-tended interdisciplinary multisensor platform connected to an advanced data network is being planned.

Erickson, J. D.↗

Long-term storage effects-up-date

The long-term effects of storing batteries over a period of years prior to their use in a synchronous orbit application are discussed. A previous experiment is discussed where life testing was performed on cells after having stored the battery for a period of three years with the cell shorted and at a temperature on the order of 5-10 C. The test consisted of performing a sequence of 10 simulated eclipse seasons (equivalent in cycling of five years in synchronous orbit). Results of this test indicated very little degradation and change in the physical and chemical conditions of the cell. The program was extended for an additional year (battery was stored for four years) under the same conditions and testing. The results of the four year storage (one exception) indicate that no further change occurred that is significant from the three year test.

Scott, W. R.↗

Solar cycle evolution of high-speed solar wind streams

Large amplitude high-speed solar wind streams and streams with maximum speeds in excess of 700 km/sec are far more common in years of declining and minimum solar activity than near solar maximum. Further, the broadest solar wind streams observed directly with space probes during the years 1962-1974 occurred near solar minimum in 1974. Changes in the frequency and nature of solar wind stream structures at the orbit of earth appear to be directly related to the long-term evolution of regions of low density in the solar corona.

Bame, S. J.↗

Spacecraft material applications: Long-term stability questions

An examination of the materials concerns for a variety of spacecraft components shows that long-term stability within the space environments is a major issue in the design of large space antenna systems. This survey paper will review some of the more recent work on the effect of space environment on (1) thin films, (2) structural composites, and (3) thermal control materials. Degradation in thermal-mechanical and optical properties associated with atmospheric and trapped particles and ultraviolet light will be highlighted. Finally, the dimensional instability associated with microcracking during thermal cycling will be examined and a methodology for estimating thermal fatigue effects from results of mechanical fatigue tests will be presented.

Crossman, F. W.↗

Magnetically suspended Stirling cryogenic space refrigerator Status report

At the 1979 Cryogenic Engineering Conference, attention was given to conceptual designs of spaceborne cryogenic refrigeration systems which can provide long-term, unattended operation. Since that time, efforts have continued to translate one of those concepts into an engineering model. The present investigation is concerned with a refrigerator which was designed to generate 5 W of cooling power at a temperature of 65 K. The compression heat of the refrigerator is dissipated at a temperature of 300 K, and the output of the system is to be maintained reliably for a period of five years or longer. The refrigerator design is based on the Stirling cycle, which has an ideal efficiency equal to that of the Carnot cycle. Attention is given to some background information concerning a cryogenic refrigerator, the design of the refrigerator components, and the development status. The magnetic bearings and the linear motors have been tested at the component level.

Daniels, A.↗

Radiation-Resistant Ti/BN Coatings: Insights From 171 Days Exposure to Space Radiation and Atomic Oxygen in Low Orbit

Atmospheric Plasma Spray (APS) and Vacuum Plasma Spray (VPS) techniques were used to develop Ti/2 vol.% hBN coatings, for extreme space environments and tested aboard the International Space Station as part of the MISSE-17 (Materials International Space Station Experiments) program. The coatings were exposed to atomic oxygen, space radiation, and low-orbit thermal cycling. VPS coatings showed a 56% increase in microhardness, a 26% rise in elastic modulus, minimal porosity and crack density changes compared to APS coatings. The change in mechanical properties is attributed to the formation of TiO, TiO₂ and TiN from nitrogen retention, alongside radiation-induced dislocations, which enhanced surface hardening. The oxidation of titanium led to the formation of TiO and TiO₂, while boron nitride was retained and underwent transmutation in VPS coatings. XPS and EDS analyses confirmed the enhanced space-environment resistance of VPS coatings, making them ideal for long-term spacecraft protection in lunar and Martian conditions.

Abhijith Kunneparambil Sukumaran↗

The detection of long-term changes in stratospheric ozone Scientific requirements and current results from satellite-based measurement systems

The ability to detect subtle trends in upper stratospheric ozone places strict requirements on satellite-based Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SBUV) sensors intended for this purpose. Simulation of the long-term change in backscattered radiance indicates trends in the range 1.0-1.6 percent per decade depending on wavelength for an ozone depletion scenario based on chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) chemistry. The maximum percentage change in the measured quantity, as would be sensed by the Nimbus-7 SBUV experiment and future similar instruments, is roughly a factor of two less than the maximum percentage change in ozone, the quantity of geophysical interest. Furthermore, interannual variations, whose magnitude can be estimated from the SBUV data set, could obscure a CFC-related trend in radiance when viewed over a period less than a decade. Even when such atmospheric noise and possible solar cycle variations are neglected, the detection of an ozone trend of the magnitude predicted for CFC-related chemistry requires a set of radiance measurements that are internally consistent to 1 percent or better over a time span of a decade.

Frederick, J. E.↗

The distribution and annual cycle of ozone in the upper stratosphere

Study of the global distribution of upper stratospheric ozone derived from backscatter ultraviolet (BUV/SBUV) instruments on the Nimbus 4 and 7 satellites reveals the following characteristics for the period June 1970 May 1972 plus portions of 1978 and 1979. At pressures less than 5 mbar a local midlatitude maximum in the ozone mixing ratio develops in autumn and persists through the winter season in both hemispheres. However, by a pressure of 10 mbar the seasonal trend has reversed, with midlatitude summer values exceeding those in winter. The largest ozone mixing ratios in a global sense occur at tropical latitudes between pressures of 7 and 9 mbar. The general character of this pattern repeats from year to year, although differences in detail exist, especially in winter. This interannual variability in ozone increases the difficulty in extracting small long-term trends from the available data base. The overall seasonal pattern revealed by the measurements is in accord with photochemical model predictions which include the annual variation in temperature and solar illumination.

Frederick, J. E.↗

Design of mechanical components for long-term performance

Review of the results of a NASA program designed to study advanced techniques for determining the long-term performance of rocket engine components. Aging and operational degradation mechanisms of metal valve seats are identified. Characterization of metal valve seat surfaces by optical signature analysis is described. The results of the development of a long-life 'zero leakage' metal valve seal designed to avoid failure by contamination, stress/strain, fatigue, and the deterioration of the surface by wear is reported. An analysis of a specific seat design showed that material strain prevention along all axes would prevent these failures. The design provided for refurbishment of the sealing surfaces during each valve cycle, thereby preventing cumulative surface damage.

Salvinski, R. J.↗

Comparison of seasonal variations of upper stratospheric ozone concentrations revealed by Umkehr and Nimbus 4 BUV observations

This paper reports the results of a comparison between upper stratospheric ozone concentration profiles in the region between 22 and 1.4 mbar, as determined from surface-based Umkehr observations and satellite Nimbus 4 BUV observations. The Umkehr data, consisting of monthly averages of observations extending over several years or longer, were obtained at three stations located in the Northern Hemisphere and two in the Southern Hemisphere. The BUV data were obtained during the period from May 1970 to March 1971. Aside from some bias in the magnitudes of the Umkehr and BUV data, marked annual cycles of ozone concentration in the upper stratosphere are clearly revealed. Above 4 mbar the profiles show a summer minimum and a winter maximum, while below 4 mbar the annual variation is reversed from this pattern. In the Northern Hemisphere the winter maximum is accompanied by a secondary minimum of 1- to 2-month duration near 3 mbar. This short-term minimum is much less obvious in the Southern Hemisphere data. Some of the problem of attempting to monitor long-term changes in the upper stratosphere are discussed briefly.

Deluisi, J. J.↗

Solar Activities Predictions: Long-Term Solar Activity

The need for long term solar activity predictions is addressed. The spatial organization of solar activity is described including applications for predictions, and ancient evidence for solar variability. Methods of predicting sunspot numbers are discussed. The inherent accuracy of the methods varies considerably, but a typical error bar 20%. The accuracy of sunspot cycle predictions is considered along with long term predictions of great solar events.

P S Mcintosh↗

Long-term solar wind electron variations between 1971 and 1978

Imp solar wind electron data measured between 1971 and 1978 were studied with the aim of determining long-term variations near the earth. Two separate sets of parameter variations were observed: (1) in 1976-1977 the solar wind density, the electron temperature, and the interplanetary electrostatic potential were all enhanced, and (2) the halo density and associated electron parameters were all depressed during a 1 1/2-year period centered on the last 6 months of 1976. Although interpretation of these results in terms of corresponding coronal and interplanetary variations is not unique, it may be significant that measured solar wind parameters near the minimum of solar cycle 20 agree better with the Hartle-Sturrock model of the coronal expansion than they do during other epochs.

Feldman, W. C.↗

AC propulsion system for an electric vehicle, phase 2

A second-generation prototype ac propulsion system for a passenger electric vehicle was designed, fabricated, tested, installed in a modified Mercury Lynx vehicle and track tested at the Contractor's site. The system consisted of a Phase 2, 18.7 kw rated ac induction traction motor, a 192-volt, battery powered, pulse-width-modulated, transistorized inverter packaged for under rear seat installation, a 2-axis, 2-speed, automatically-shifted mechanical transaxle and a microprocessor-based powertrain/vehicle controller. A diagnostics computer to assist tuning and fault finding was fabricated. Dc-to-mechanical-system efficiency varied from 78% to 82% as axle speed/torque ranged from 159 rpm/788 nm to 65 rpm/328 nm. Track test efficiency results suggest that the ac system will be equal or superior to dc systems when driving urban cycles. Additional short-term work is being performed under a third contract phase (AC-3) to raise transaxle efficiency to predicted levels, and to improve starting and shifting characteristics. However, the long-term challenge to the system's viability remains inverter cost. A final report on the Phase 2 system, describing Phase 3 modifications, will be issued at the conclusion of AC-3.

Slicker, J. M.↗