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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 109 records · Page 6

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NASA NTRS1971

Radar Attitude Sensing System (RASS)

The initial design and fabrication efforts for a radar attitude sensing system (RASS) are covered. The design and fabrication of the RASS system is being undertaken in two phases, 1B1 and 1B2. The RASS system as configured under phase 1B1 contains the solid state transmitter and local oscillator, the antenna system, the receiving system, and the altitude electronics. RASS employs a pseudo-random coded cw signal and receiver correlation techniques to measure range. The antenna is a planar, phased array, monopulse type, whose beam is electronically steerable using diode phase shifters. The beam steering computer and attitude sensing circuitry are to be included in Phase 1B2 of the program.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2000

On Fast Post-Processing of Global Positioning System Simulator Truth Data and Receiver Measurements and Solutions Data

Post-processing of data, related to a GPS receiver test in a GPS simulator and test facility, is an important step towards qualifying a receiver for space flight. Although the GPS simulator provides all the parameters needed to analyze a simulation, as well as excellent analysis tools on the simulator workstation, post-processing is not a GPS simulator or receiver function alone, and it must be planned as a separate pre-flight test program requirement. A GPS simulator is a critical resource, and it is desirable to move off the pertinent test data from the simulator as soon as a test is completed. The receiver and simulator databases are used to extract the test data files for postprocessing. These files are then usually moved from the simulator and receiver systems to a personal computer (PC) platform, where post-processing is done typically using PC-based commercial software languages and tools. Because of commercial software systems generality their functions are notoriously slow and more than often are the bottleneck even for short duration simulator-based tests. There is a need to do post-processing faster and within an hour after test completion, including all required operations on the simulator and receiver to prepare and move off the post-processing files. This is especially significant in order to use the previous test feedback for the next simulation setup or to run near back-to-back simulation scenarios. Solving the post-processing timing problem is critical for a pre-flight test program success. Towards this goal an approach was developed that allows to speed-up post-processing by an order of a magnitude. It is based on improving the post-processing bottleneck function algorithm using a priory information that is specific to a GPS simulation application and using only the necessary volume of truth data. The presented postprocessing scheme was used in support of a few successful space flight missions carrying GPS receivers.

Kizhner, Semion↗

DOE OSTI2023

Design and Techno-Economic Analysis of a 150-MW Hybrid CSP-PV Plant

The interest in concentrated solar power (CSP) has increased significantly over the years since it is dispatchable and requires thermal storage instead of electric storage. When compared to photovoltaics (PV), CSP has a higher Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE). In this paper, we present the design of a hybrid power plant using CSP and PV technologies. The hybrid system offers a lower LCOE than CSP but will still have dispatchability. The 150-MW hybrid system consists of 100-MW CSP and 50-MW PV capacity. Furthermore, the CSP system (central receiver system) has a molten salt-based thermal storage of 12 hours. The geographical focus of this study is Pakistan, which is a developing country struggling with energy crises, but which has high solar potential. The hybrid system is modeled using the System Advisor Model (SAM). The results show that by hybridizing CSP with PV, the LCOE can be reduced by 18.5%.

concentrated solar power↗

NASA NTRS1979

Shuttle GPS R/PA configuration and specification study

Changes in the technical specifications for a global positioning system (GPS) receiving system dedicated to space shuttle use are presented. Various hardware functions including acquisition, tracking, and measurement are emphasized. The anti-jam performance of the baseline GPS systems are evaluated. Other topics addressed include: the impact on R/PA design of the use of ground based transmitters; problems involved with the use of single channel tests sets; utility of various R/PA antenna interconnections topologies; the choice of the averaging interval for delta range measurements; and the use of interferometry techniques for the computation of orbiter attitude were undertaken.

Booth, R. W. D.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Demonstration of remote clock monitoring by VLBI with three baseline closures

The capability of very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) to monitor the stability of remotely located hydrogen maser frequency standards has been demonstrated by a series of experiments conducted between Deep Space Stations in Australia, Spain, and California. The measured stabilities of the clock systems, over approximately 10 day intervals, were 1 to 3 parts in 10 to the 13th power, with the instabilities due to the oscillators, the clock distribution systems, the receiving system delays, and the VLBI measurement error. Experiments were conducted independently using two different systems (BLOCK 0 and WBDAS). Later comparison shows agreement on the order of 1 part in 10 to the 13th power. Closure was demonstrated on three separate occasions to 33, 10, and 13 ns with an error uncertainty of + or - 42 ns. The results represent an important consistency check on VLBI measurements.

Cheetham, C. M.↗

DOE OSTI2022

Solar receivers and methods for capturing solar energy

Thermal receivers, systems, and methods are disclosed that efficiently capture concentrated solar energy into a plurality of heat absorption bodies for conversion into thermal energy. In an embodiment, the thermal receivers, systems, and methods enable simultaneous electricity conversion and thermal energy capture. The receiver design enables a high penetration of concentrated sunlight deep into the thermal receiver to increase light trapping and reduce thermal losses. The thermal receiver is integrated with a photovoltaic (PV) receiver platform that converts some of the incident light to electricity while passing the remaining light to the thermal receiver. In another embodiment, other thermal receivers, systems, and methods are disclosed that efficiently capture concentrated solar energy into a sheet of falling particles. In an embodiment, the thermal receivers, systems, and methods enable simultaneous electricity conversion and thermal energy capture.

Ho, Clifford K.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Delay/Doppler-Mapping GPS-Reflection Remote-Sensing System

A radio receiver system that features enhanced capabilities for remote sensing by use of reflected Global Positioning System (GPS) signals has been developed. This system was designed primarily for ocean altimetry, but can also be used for scatterometry and bistatic synthetic-aperture radar imaging. Moreover, it could readily be adapted to utilize navigation-satellite systems other than the GPS, including the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System GLONASS) and the proposed European Galileo system. This remote-sensing system offers both advantages and disadvantages over traditional radar altimeters: One advantage of GPS-reflection systems is that they cost less because there is no need to transmit signals. Another advantage is that there are more simultaneous measurement opportunities - one for each GPS satellite in view. The primary disadvantage is that in comparison with radar signals, GPS signals are weaker, necessitating larger antennas and/or longer observations. This GPS-reflection remote-sensing system was tested in aircraft and made to record and process both (1) signals coming directly from GPS satellites by means of an upward-looking antenna and (2) GPS signals reflected from the ground by means of a downward-looking antenna. In addition to performing conventional GPS processing, the system records raw signals for postprocessing as required.

Lowe, Stephen↗

NASA NTRS1982

Noise temperature and noise figure concepts: DC to light

The Deep Space Network is investigating the use of higher operational frequencies for improved performance. Noise temperature and noise figure concepts are used to describe the noise performance of these receiving systems. It is proposed to modify present noise temperature definitions for linear amplifiers so they will be valid over the range (hf/kT) 1 (hf/kT). This is important for systems operating at high frequencies and low noise temperatures, or systems requiring very accurate calibrations. The suggested definitions are such that for an ideal amplifier, T sub e = (hg/k) = T sub q and F = 1. These definitions revert to the present definition for (hf/kT) 1. Noise temperature calibrations are illustrated with a detailed example. These concepts are applied to system signal-to-noise analysis. The fundamental limit to a receiving system sensitivity is determined by the thermal noise of the source and the quantum noise limit of the receiver. The sensitivity of a receiving system consisting of an ideal linear amplifier with a 2.7 K source, degrades significantly at higher frequencies.

Stelzried, C. T.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Low-noise K(u)-band receiver input system

Improved maser and superconducting magnet, which operates in vacuum of closed-cycle helium refrigerator, comprise a low-noise, reliable, field-operational receiver input system.

Berwin, R. W.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Deep trap, laser activated image converting system

Receiving an optical image on the surface of a photoconducting semiconductor is presented, storing the image in deep traps of the semiconductor, and later scanning the semiconductor with a laser beam to empty the deep traps, thereby producing a video signal. The semiconductor is illuminated with photons of energy greater than the band gap producing electron-hole pairs in the semiconductor which subsequently fill traps in energy from the band edges. When the laser beam of low energy photons excites the trapped electrons and holes out of the traps into the conduction and valence bands, a photoconductivity can be observed.

Maserjian, J.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Receiver array for high-rate telemetry

RF carrier uses two receiver systems to increase signal-to-noise ratio and sensitivity. Signals separately processed are coherently combined at summing junction for improved reception of marginal high-rate signals frequently lost to system, atmosphere, and galactic noises. Two receivers improve ratio by 2.7 dB; improvement is made by arraying more receiver systems.

Brockman, M. H.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Ground station hardware for the ATS-F millimeter wave experiment

The results are presented of a program to design, fabricate, test, and install a primary ATS-F millimeter wave ground receiving station. Propagation parameters at millimeter waves are discussed along with the objective of the overall experiment. A general description is given of the receiving system and its function in the experiment. Typical receiver characteristics are presented which show that the experiment is entirely feasible from a link SNR standpoint. The receiving system hardware designs are discussed with separate treatment given to the propagation and the radiometer receiver designs. The modification and relocation are described of an existing 15-ft antenna to meet the ATS-F requirements. The design of a dual frequency feed subsystem and self calibration equipment is included.

Duffield, T. L.↗

NASA NTRS1978

A video display interface for the LORAN-C navigation receiver development system

A microprocessor-based development system was designed and fabricated for prototype test of navigation receiver designs. During use of this system in the development of low-cost LORAN-C receiver/processor concepts, the limitations of the integral KIM-1 display were severely felt. It was to augment this numerical display that the video character display was produced. The circuit design presented meets the need for a flexible-format display capable of driving a small standard video monitor with only minimal demands upon microprocessor memory and MPU cycles.

Fischer, J. P.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Accuracy of telemetry signal power loss in a filter as an estimate for telemetry degradation

When telemetry data is transmitted through a communication link, some degradation in telemetry performance occurs as a result of the imperfect frequency response of the channel. The term telemetry degradation as used here is the increase in received signal power required to offset this filtering. The usual approach to assessing this degradation is to assume that it is equal to the signal power loss in the filtering, which is easily calculated. However, this approach neglects the effects of the nonlinear phase response of the filter, the effect of any reduction of the receiving system noise due to the filter, and intersymbol interference. Here, an exact calculation of the telemetry degradation, which includes all of the above effects, is compared with the signal power loss calculation for RF filtering of NRZ data on a carrier. The signal power loss calculation is found to be a reasonable approximation when the filter follows the point at which the receiving system noise is introduced, especially if the signal power loss is less than 0.5 dB. The signal power loss approximation is less valid when the receiving system noise is not filtered.

Koerner, M. A.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Designing Ground Antennas for Maximum G/T: Cassegrain or Gregorian?

For optimum performance, a ground antenna system must maximize the ratio of received signal to the receiving system noise power, defined as the ratio of antenna gain to system-noise temperature (G/T). The total system noise temperature is the linear combination of the receiver noise temperature (including the feed system losses) and the antenna noise contribution. Hence, for very low noise cryogenic receiver systems, antenna noise-temperature properties are very significant contributors to G/T.It is well known that, for dual reflector systems designed for maximum gain, the gain performance of the antenna system is the same for both Cassegrain and Gregorian configurations. For a12-meter antenna designed to be part of the large array based Deep Space Network, a Cassegrain configuration designed for maximum G/T at X-band was 0.7 dB higher than the equivalent Gregorian configuration. This study demonstrates that, for maximum GIT, the dual shaped Cassegrain design is always better than the Gregorian.

ground antennas↗

NASA NTRS1977

Wideband heterodyne receiver for laser communication system

A heterodyne receiver for laser communication is described which includes a front end having a cooled photomixer contained in a hermetically sealed spaced quality housing designed for wide bandwidth transmission. The photomixer is coupled through a wideband preamplifier to the receiver back end which includes a frequency tracking network and demodulating equipment. The receiver is capable of tracking a Doppler frequency shift of 750 MHz, positive or negative, and has an instantaneous intermediate frequency information bandwidth of 400 MHz. The receiver system is also capable of operating over a wide temperature range and is designed to be suitable for use in outer space communication.

Flattau, T.↗

DOE OSTI2023

Particle Receiver Models for Systems Analysis

Particle receivers are gaining importance in the field of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) due to the high temperature that particles can achieve without degradation. Several researchers are studying the potential of this technology by means of system analyses, which need simple and light models of the system. This study presents two simple models for the particle receiver. The simplest model is a correlation obtained by fitting the results calculated with a more complex receiver model simulated in CFD. The other model is a 1D model, which is benchmarked against the same CFD results. Although both models achieve high coefficient of determination, R2, when compared to CFD results, the 1D model seems to provide more accurate results (especially during sunsets and sunrises). Both models are integrated into a tecno-economic model developed in previous work. The LCOE obtained with the 1D model is between 7% and 10% greater than the one obtained with the correlation.

González-Portillo, Luis F. (ORCID:0000000348643825↗

NASA NTRS1987

Thermal control of the Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment

The Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment (LITE) will employ lidar techniques to study the atmosphere from space. The LITE instrument will be flown in the Space Shuttle Payload Bay with an earth directed orientation. The experiment thermal control incorporates both active and passive techniques. The Laser Transmitter Module (LTM) and the system electronics will be actively cooled through the Shuttle pallet coolant loop. The receiver system and experiment platform will be passsively controlled through the use of insulation and component surface properties. This paper explains the thermal control techniques used and the analysis results, with primary focus on the receiver system.

Carlson, Ann B.↗