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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

A boundary integral approach to the scattering of nonplanar acoustic waves by rigid bodies

The acoustic scattering of an incident wave by a rigid body can be described by a singular Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. This equation is derived by solving the wave equation using generalized function theory, Green's function for the wave equation in unbounded space, and the acoustic boundary condition for a perfectly rigid body. This paper will discuss the derivation of the wave equation, its reformulation as a boundary integral equation, and the solution of the integral equation by the Galerkin method. The accuracy of the Galerkin method can be assessed by applying the technique outlined in the paper to reproduce the known pressure fields that are due to various point sources. From the analysis of these simpler cases, the accuracy of the Galerkin solution can be inferred for the scattered pressure field caused by the incidence of a dipole field on a rigid sphere. The solution by the Galerkin technique can then be applied to such problems as a dipole model of a propeller whose pressure field is incident on a rigid cylinder. This is the groundwork for modeling the scattering of rotating blade noise by airplane fuselages.

Gallman, Judith M.↗

Spacecraft boost and abort guidance and control systems requirement study, boost dynamics and control analysis study. Exhibit A: Boost dynamics and control anlaysis

The simulation developments for use in dynamics and control analysis during boost from liftoff to orbit insertion are reported. Also included are wind response studies of the NR-GD 161B/B9T delta wing booster/delta wing orbiter configuration, the MSC 036B/280 inch solid rocket motor configuration, the MSC 040A/L0X-propane liquid injection TVC configuration, the MSC 040C/dual solid rocket motor configuration, and the MSC 049/solid rocket motor configuration. All of the latest math models (rigid and flexible body) developed for the MSC/GD Space Shuttle Functional Simulator, are included.

Williams, F. E.↗

Ring baffle pressure distribution and slosh damping in large cylindrical tanks

An investigation was conducted to determine the pressure loads and damping associated with rigid ring baffles in relatively large cylindrical tanks. The radial and circumferential pressure distribution, as well as the damping, was measured on a ring baffle subjected to fundamental antisymmetric slosh in a 284-cm-diameter rigid tank. Experimental and analytical data are presented as a function of slosh velocity or amplitude, baffle spacing, and baffle locations both above and below the liquid surface. Results suggest that pressure distributions and damping values can be determined from available theories for the design of single and multiple baffle configurations.

Scholl, H. F.↗

An economic analysis of a commercial approach to the design and fabrication of a space power system

A commercial approach to the design and fabrication of an economical space power system is presented. Cost reductions are projected through the conceptual design of a 2 kW space power system built with the capability for having serviceability. The approach to system costing that is used takes into account both the constraints of operation in space and commercial production engineering approaches. The cost of this power system reflects a variety of cost/benefit tradeoffs that would reduce system cost as a function of system reliability requirements, complexity, and the impact of rigid specifications. A breakdown of the system design, documentation, fabrication, and reliability and quality assurance cost estimates are detailed.

Putney, Z.↗

An economic analysis of a commercial approach to the design and fabrication of a space power system

This paper discusses a commercial approach to the design and fabrication of an economical space power system. With the advent of the space shuttle, steps can be taken to back away from the presently used space qualified approach in order to reduce cost of space hardware by incorporating, where possible, commercial design, fabrication, and quality assurance methods. Cost reductions are projected through the conceptual design of a 2 kW space power system built with the capability for having serviceability. The approach to system costing that has been used takes into account both the constraints of operation in space and commercial production engineering approaches. The cost of this power system reflects a variety of cost/benefit tradeoffs that would reduce system cost as a function of system reliability requirements, complexity, and the impact of rigid specifications. A breakdown of the system design, documentation, fabrication and reliability and quality assurance cost estimates are detailed.

Putney, Z.↗

Suggestions for improving the efficiency of ground-based neutron monitors for detecting solar neutrons

On the occasion of the June 3, 1982 intense gamma-ray solar flare a significant increase in counting rate due to solar neutrons was observed by the neutron monitors of Junsfraujoch and Lomnicky Stit located at middle latitudes and high altitudes. In spite of a larger detector employed and of the smaller solar zenith angle, the amplitude of the same event observed at Rome was much smaller and the statistical fluctuations of the salactic cosmic ray background higher than the ones registered at the two mountain stations, because of the greater atmospheric depth at which the Rome monitor is located. The effeciency for detecting a solar neutron event by a NM-64 monitor as a function of the Sun zenith angle, atmospheric depth and threshold rigidity of the station was studied.

Iucci, N.↗

Flexibility effects on the control system performance of large scale robotic manipulators

Structural flexibility of robotic manipulators becomes significant and limits the performance of a control system when manipulators are large structures, manipulating on large payloads, and/or operating at high speeds. The question of when a manipulator can be considered rigid or must be considered flexible is studied as a function of manipulator dynamics and task characteristics. Results are interpreted in simple quantitative forms which can be used as design and analysis tools to decide whether or not the manipulator flexibility will be a significant factor for a given task condition. The limitations imposed by the manipulator flexibility on the joint variable feedback control system performance is determined using linear and nonlinear methods. The closed loop eigenstructure behavior of finite dimensional models under joint variable feedback is studied and results are compared with the previously reported results.

Cetinkunt, Sabri↗

Water Walls Architecture: Massively Redundant And Highly Reliable Life Support For Long Duration Exploration Missions

The Water Wall concept proposes a system for structural elements that provide,thermal, radiation, water, solids and air treatment functions which are placed at the periphery of inflatable or rigid habitats. It also provides novel and potentially game changing mass reduction and reuse options for radiation protection. The approach would allow water recycling, air treatment, thermal control, and solids residuals treatment and recycling to be removed from the usable habitat volume, and placed in the walls by way of a radiation shielding water wall. It would also provide a mechanism to recover and reuse water treatment (solids) residuals to strengthen the habitat shell and a method of deriving radiation shielding from wastes generated on orbit. Water wall treatment elements would be a much-enlarged version of the commercially available hydration bags. Some water bags may have pervaporation membranes facing outward, which would provide the ability to remove H20, C02 and trace organics from the atmosphere and some would have hydrophobic internal membranes which would provide water, and waste recycling and some power generation.

Water Recycling↗

The solution of the relaxation problem for the Boltzmann equation by the integral iteration method

The Boltzmann equation is considered in terms of the problem of relaxation of some initial distribution function which depends only on velocities, to Maxwell's distribution function. The Boltzmann equation is given for the relaxation problem in which the distribution function f(t, u, v) is time dependent and is also dependent on two other variables u and v (the velocities of rigid spherical molecules). An iteration process is discussed in which the velocity space u, v is subdivided into squares, the distribution function in each square being approximated by the second-order surface from the values of the distribution function at nine points. The set of all of these points forms a network of u, v values at the nodes of which the distribution function can be found.

Limar, Y. F.↗

The exact eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of a two-dimensional rigid rotor obtained using Gaussian wave packet dynamics

Exact eigenfunctions for a two-dimensional rigid rotor are obtained using Gaussian wave packet dynamics. The wave functions are obtained by propagating, without approximation, an infinite set of Gaussian wave packets that collectively have the correct periodicity, being coherent states appropriate to this rotational problem. This result leads to a numerical method for the semiclassical calculation of rovibrational, molecular eigenstates. Also, a simple, almost classical, approximation to full wave packet dynamics is shown to give exact results: this leads to an a posteriori justification of the De Leon-Heller spectral quantization method.

Reimers, J. R.↗

Assembly planning for large truss structures in space

The approach is based on a graph search algorithm. A relational data structure is used to represent a truss structure. There are four types of entities: units, faces, edges, and vertices. There are contain/contained relationships for every pair of entity types, as well as in-contact relationships between faces. A best-first algorithm constitutes the core of the planner. The cost function in the current implementation corresponds to a combination of the rigidity of the intermediate structures and the total distance to be traversed by the agent executing the assembly tasks.

Homem De Mello, L. S.↗

Entry, Descent, and Landing for Human Mars Missions

One of the most challenging aspects of a human mission to Mars is landing safely on the Martian surface. Mars has such low atmospheric density that decelerating large masses (tens of metric tons) requires methods that have not yet been demonstrated, and are not yet planned in future Mars missions. To identify the most promising options for Mars entry, descent, and landing, and to plan development of the needed technologies, NASA's Human Architecture Team (HAT) has refined candidate methods for emplacing needed elements of the human Mars exploration architecture (such as ascent vehicles and habitats) on the Mars surface. This paper explains the detailed, optimized simulations that have been developed to define the mass needed at Mars arrival to accomplish the entry, descent, and landing functions. Based on previous work, technology options for hypersonic deceleration include rigid, mid-L/D (lift-to-drag ratio) aeroshells, and inflatable aerodynamic decelerators (IADs). The hypersonic IADs, or HIADs, are about 20% less massive than the rigid vehicles, but both have their technology development challenges. For the supersonic regime, supersonic retropropulsion (SRP) is an attractive option, since a propulsive stage must be carried for terminal descent and can be ignited at higher speeds. The use of SRP eliminates the need for an additional deceleration system, but SRP is at a low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) in that the interacting plumes are not well-characterized, and their effect on vehicle stability has not been studied, to date. These architecture-level assessments have been used to define the key performance parameters and a technology development strategy for achieving the challenging mission of landing large payloads on Mars.

Munk, Michelle M.↗

Performance of journal bearings with semi-compressible fluids

Cryogenic fluids in isothermal rigid surface and foil type journal bearings can sometimes be treated as semicompressible fluids. In these applications, the fluid density is a function of the pressure. At low pressures, the fluids can change from a liquid to a saturated liquid-vapor phase. The performance of a rigid surface journal bearing with an idealized semicompressible fluid is discussed. Pressure solutions are based upon a Reynolds equation which includes the effects of a compressibility via the bulk modulus of the fluid. Results are contrasted with the performance of isothermal constant property incompressible fluids.

Carpino, M.↗

Docking of a spacecraft with an unrestrained orbiting structure

A methodology is presented for simulating a docking process involving a rigid body and an unrestrained nonuniform beam in orbit, and the issues that must be faced in the course of producing any such simulation are discussed. An algorithm is produced for the simulation of motions of the unrestrained structure, which necessitates the use of a structural analysis program for the purpose of constructing modal functions. An impulse problem then is solved in order to discover the changes that take place in certain variables in the course of the docking. This information is utilized to determine the initial values of variables used to characterize postdocking motions of the system under consideration, and an algorithm for simulating these motions is created, in which a structural analysis program is again used to produce modal functions. Finally, an extension of the methodology to the simulation of the docking of a rigid body with more complex orbiting structures is discussed.

Levinson, D. A.↗

Static shape determination and control for large space structures. I - The flexible beam. II - A large space antenna

A method for determining and controlling the shape of large, continuous space structures by means of discrete or pointwise observations and control devices is presented. The general linear boundary value problem satisfied by a one-dimensional shape function is defined, and the existence of solutions is studied. The static shape control problems for one-dimensional systems with and without rigid body modes and the static shape estimation problem are presented and solved. Eigenfunction expansions are presented which provide approximations to the algorithm terms when the associated Green's function is not known. An integral operator approach is applied to the multidimensional static problem, and the results are illustrated with a finite element model of the disk of a large space antenna which assumes no rigid body modes. It is shown that the shape control algorithm must be modified for systems with rigid body modes.

Weeks, C. J.↗

Asymmetrical booster ascent guidance and control system design study. Volume 1: Summary

Dynamics and control, stability, and guidance analyses are summarized for the asymmetrical booster ascent guidance and control system design studies, performed in conjunction with space shuttle planning. The mathematical models developed for use in rigid body and flexible body versions of the NASA JSC space shuttle functional simulator are briefly discussed, along with information on the following: (1) space shuttle stability analysis using equations of motion for both pitch and lateral axes; (2) the computer program used to obtain stability margin; and (3) the guidance equations developed for the space shuttle powered flight phases.

Williams, F. E.↗

Particle distribution functions in modulation theory

Development of a simple formulation of the cosmic ray modulation problem which involves the use of the omnidirectional part of the distribution function in phase space, and the magnitude of the momentum or the rigidity. It is shown that, by employing the proposed formulation, the Compton-Getting factor is greatly simplified, and the well-known force-field equation is reduced to a one-dimensional Vlasov equation. In addition, another Vlasov equation can be written for the very low energy galactic particles which are convected by the solar wind.

Forman, M. A.↗