Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “RINGS, CIRCULAR”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 109 records · Page 6

Acoustooptic pulse-echo transducer system

A pulse-echo transducer system which uses an ultrasonic generating element and an optical detection technique is described. The transmitting transducer consists of a concentric ring electrode pattern deposited on a circular, X-cut quartz substrate with a circular hole in the center. The rings are independently pulsed with a sequence high voltage signals phased in such a way that the ultrasonic waves generated by the separate rings superimpose to produce a composite field which is focused at a controllable distance below the surface of the specimen. The amplitude of the field reflected from this focus position is determined by the local reflection coefficient of the medium at the effective focal point. By processing the signals received for a range of ultrasonic transducer array focal lengths, the system can be used to locate and size anomalies within solids and liquids. Applications in both nondestructive evaluation and biomedical scanning are suggested.

Claus, R. O.↗

Ring vortex/cylinder sound production revisited

The acoustic radiation produced by the passage of a vortex ring near a circular cylinder is calculated utilizing the Coriolis acceleration of the vortex as the source term and the low frequency Green's function approach. Necessary integrals are evaluated exactly via complex integration techniques. The results exhibit good agreement (on a Pascal basis) with experimental data. Of particular interest is the rotation of the directivity pattern during this transient encounter and the extreme sensitivity of the results to the distance at which the vortex passes by the cylinder.

Hardin, Jay C.↗

Direct evaluation of aeroacoustic theory in a jet

Aeroacoustic theory is applied to low-Mach (M = 0.08) cold jets, focusing on motion at scales which allow the assumption that the entire jet diameter is acoustically compact. The primary result is that the measured sound field directivity of vortex ring pairing in circular jets is similar to that predicted by the theory: a stationary axisymmetric lateral quadrupole. It is also shown that pairing of purely axisymmetric coherent structures is not the dominant sound source in low-Mach-number jets and that vortex asymmetry must be an essential aspect of the vortex motions which produce noise in such jets.

Bridges, James↗

The rings of Jupiter

The properties of the Jovian ring system are reviewed. The system has three morphologically distinct components. The bright ring is planar and circular. It merges into the faint sheet component at its inner edge. A broad halo of ring particles envelops the bright ring and the faint sheet, extending some 10,000 km above and below the plane of the bright ring, and apparently extending down to the atmosphere of the planet. The system is bounded on the outside by the small satellite Adrastea (1979 J1). The micrometer-sized ring particles observed at large phase angles may be generated by the erosion of parent bodies within the bright ring. The parent bodies probably lie in the size range 1 m to 1 km. Small particles may decay into the faint sheet under the action of Poynting-Robertson and other drag forces. Ring particles will maintain a net electric potential with respect to the ambient plasma, due to several charging processes in operation in the Jovian magnetosphere. Particles with diameters less than 0.4 micron may be lifted into the halo by an interaction with the Jovian magnetic field.

Jewitt, D. C.↗

Structural Design Concepts for a Multi-Megawatt Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) Spacecraft

As a part of the Space Exploratory Initiative (SEI), NASA-Lewis is studying Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) spacecraft to be used as a cargo transport vehicle to Mars. Two preliminary structural design concepts are offered for SEP spacecraft: a split blanket array configuration, and a ring structure. The split blanket configuration is an expansion of the photovoltaic solar array design proposed for Space Station Freedom and consists of eight independent solar blankets stretched and supported from a central mast. The ring structural concept is a circular design with the solar blanket stretched inside a ring. This concept uses a central mast with guy wires to provide additional support to the ring. The two design concepts are presented, then compared by performing stability, normal modes, and forced response analyses for varying levels of blanket and guy wire preloads. The ring structure configuration is shown to be advantageous because it is much stiffer, more stable, and deflects less under loading than the split blanket concept.

Lawrence, Charles↗

Structural design concepts for a multimegawatt solar electric propulsion (SEP) spacecraft

As a part of the Space Exploratory Initiative (SEI), NASA-Lewis is studying Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) spacecraft to be used as a cargo transport vehicle to Mars. Two preliminary structural design concepts are offered for SEP spacecraft: a split blanket array configuration, and a ring structure. The split blanket configuration is an expansion of the photovoltaic solar array design proposed for Space Station Freedom and consists of eight independent solar blankets stretched and supported from a central mast. The ring structural concept is a circular design with the solar blanket stretched inside a ring. This concept uses a central mast with guy wires to provide additional support to the ring. The two design concepts are presented, then compared by performing stability, normal modes, and forced response analyses for varying levels of blanket and guy wire preloads. The ring structure configuration is shown to be advantageous because it is much stiffer, more stable, and deflects less under loading than the split blanket concept.

Lawrence, Charles↗

Selected aspects of lunar mare geology from Apollo orbital photography

Crater size-frequency distributions were studied (100-500 m) and are shown to provide significant integrated information concerning mare surface ages, subsurface stratigraphy, and surficial geology. Equilibrium cratering is discussed gradually reducing the relative numbers of craters smaller than 300-400 m in diameter as surfaces age and regolith thickens. Results for surface ages are in good agreement with other published crater ages. The existing correlations of large ring structures among various circular mare basins are shown to be based on criteria that are inconsistent and nonstandardized. A means of comparing equivalent ring structures in the different maria is proposed which takes into account the important characteristics of young unflooded basins (Orientale) as well as the progressive development of tectonic and volcanic features within the older flooded maria. Specific geologic aspects of several of the lunar maria are discussed and especially Mare Smythii, because of its great age and significantly different surface morphology. Lunar photographs and maps are shown.

Young, R. A.↗

The rings of Saturn - Two-frequency radar observations

Results are reported for a two-frequency dual-polarization radar-echo study of Saturn's rings which involved monostatic operation at a wavelength of 3.5 cm and bistatic operation at 12.6 cm. The radar observations show that the rings effectively depolarize linearly and circularly polarized incident waves at the two wavelengths; that the ring particles are unusually efficient radar reflectors, yielding approximately the same high total cross section at both wavelengths; and that there is an apparent excess of power at the 'central' Doppler shifts when compared with homogeneous scattering models based on the optically observed ring distributions. Several possible explanations for these three radar properties are considered. It is found that a model which hypothesizes a thick cloud of irregular water-ice chunks a few centimeters or larger in radius and a model which postulates a monolayer of multimeter-sized water-frost-coated metallic chunks both seem capable of explaining the first two radar properties. But no consistent explanation is found for the excess low-frequency spectral power.

Goldstein, R. M.↗

The occultation of BD -15 deg 3969 by the rings of Uranus

Photoelectric observations of the December 23, 1977, occultation of BD -15 deg 3969 by the rings of Uranus are analyzed. The observations were made with a 1.5-m IR flux collector and clearly show the occultations of the star by the epsilon, delta, gamma, and alpha rings prior to the star's disappearance behind the planet. Detection of the beta-ring occultation is uncertain, but several features were observed which may be due to occultations of the star by objects other than the five major rings. It is noted that no other occultations with both a duration and depth comparable to the epsilon-ring event were observed between the orbit of Miranda and the limb of Uranus. The results suggest that the epsilon ring does not consist of two fragments but rather is a complete ring which may be either circular and inclined slightly with respect to the four inner rings or coplanar and elliptical.

Millis, R. L.↗

Multifrequency, broadband, dual-polarized antenna

Corrugated, conical horn, ring-loaded antenna can be fed through vertex of cone with wideband waveguides, such as double-ridged rectangular or quad-ridged circular, or simply ring-loaded, corrugated waveguides. Antenna is also fed through coupling apertures in side of cone at appropriate diameters.

Green, K. A.↗

Application of the Collision-Imparted Velocity Method for Analyzing the Responses of Containment and Deflector Structures to Engine Rotor Fragment Impact

An approximate analysis, termed the Collision Imparted Velocity Method (CIVM), was employed for predicting the transient structural responses of containment rings or deflector rings which are subjected to impact from turbojet-engine rotor burst fragments. These 2-d structural rings may be initially circular or arbitrarily curved and may have either uniform or variable thickness; elastic, strain hardening, and strain rate material properties are accommodated. This approximate analysis utilizes kinetic energy and momentum conservation relations in order to predict the after-impact velocities of the fragment and the impacted ring segment. This information is then used in conjunction with a finite element structural response computation code to predict the transient, large deflection responses of the ring. Similarly, the equations of motion for each fragment are solved in small steps in time. Also, some comparisons of predictions with experimental data for fragment-impacted free containment rings are presented.

Collins, T. P.↗

Shock and vibration isolation mount for small electronic components

Mount includes metallic cup and support ring placed in mold fixture. Viscoelastic material is injected between these parts by means of large hypodermic needle. Circular projections on cup and ring extend into material and are kept in place without dependence on quality of adhesion between material and metal.

Dillon, R. F.↗

Synthesis of stiffened conical shells.

The development of a method to effect the automated minimum weight design of ring and stringer stiffened shells is presented. Membrane theory is used for the shell prebuckling analysis. The buckling analysis is based upon an arbitrary shell of revolution computer program. The structural analysis includes both buckling and yielding modes of failure. The synthesis involves the coupling of an exterior penalty function with a method for the unconstrained minimization of a function comprised of a sum of squares. Results of the application of the method to the design of the Viking Aeroshell cone are presented. The least weight Viking Aeroshell appears to be an all magnesium shell with ring stiffeners of hollow circular cross section. Because the method incorporates a general shell of revolution buckling analysis, it can be readily modified and applied to the design of any axisymmetrically loaded uniformly stiffened shell of revolution for which a membrane prebuckling solution exists.

Thornton, W. A.↗