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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Application of stochastic robustness to aircraft control systems

Stochastic robustness, a simple numerical procedure for estimating the stability robustness of linear, time-invariant systems, is applied to a forward-swept-wing aircraft control system. Based on Monte Carlo evaluation of the system's closed-loop eignevalues, this analysis approach introduces the probability of instability as a scalar stability robustness measure. The related stochastic root locus provides insight into robustness characteristics of the closed-loop system. Three Linear Quadratic controllers of decreasing robustness are chosen to demonstrate the use of stochastic robustness to analyze and compare control designs. Examples are presented illustrating the use of stochastic robustness analysis to address the effects of actuator dynamics and unmodeled dynamics on the stability robustness of the forward-swept-wing aircraft.

Stengel, Robert F.↗
NASA NTRS1933

The Effect of Increased Carburetor Pressure on Engine Performance at Several Compression Ratios

The object of this investigation was to determine the effect of increasing the carburetor pressures from 30 to 40 inches of mercury, at compression ratios from 3.5 to 7.5, on the power, on the maximum cylinder pressures, on the fuel consumption, and on the other performance characteristics of an engine. A roots-type aircraft-engine supercharger was used to maintain the desired carburetor pressure.

Schey, Oscar W↗
NASA NTRS1959

Heat Transfer from Cylinders in Transition From Slip Flow to Free-Molecule Flow

Over 600 measured heat-transfer coefficients in the transition from slip to free-molecule flow have been correlated by using the Nusselt number Nu as a function of the Knudsen Kn and Reynolds Re (or Mach M) numbers. The experimental range for these heat-transfer data from transverse cylinders in air corresponds to the following dimensionless groups: M, 0.10 to 0.90; Re, 0.03 to 11.5; Kn, 0.10 to 5.0. The total air temperature T(sub t) was maintained constant at 80 F, but wire temperature was Varied from 150 to 580 F. At Kn=0.10, Nu extrapolates smoothly into slip-flow empirical curves that show Nu as a function of Re and M or Kn. The correlation gradually changes from the square root of Re(sub t) dependence characteristic of continuum flow to first-power Re dependence as Kn increases (decreasing Re). At the experimental limit Kn ft 5.0, the Nu data correlate with a mean fractional error of 413 percent by the prediction of free-molecule-flow theory. In comparing experimental results with theory, an accommodation coefficient of 0.57+/-0.07 was inferred from the heat-transfer data, which were obtained with etched tungsten wire in air. The wire recovery temperature T(sub e) was measured and compared with existing data and theory in terms of a ratio eta(equivalent to T(sub e)/T(sub t). The results can be divided into three groups by Kn criteria: For Kn less than 2.01, eta is independent of Kn, and eta decreases from 1.0 to 0.97 as M increases from 0 to 0.90; for 2.0 less than Kn less than 5.0, eta is a function of both Kn and M in this transition region to fully developed free-molecule flow; and for Kn greater than 5.0, eta predicted by free-molecule-flow theory is observed and increases from 1.0 to 1.08 as M increases from 0 to 0.90, again independent of Kn. Therefore, these T(sub e) data provide a guide to the boundary of fully developed free-molecule flow, which is.inferred from this research to exist for Kn greater than 5.0. This boundary criterion is substantiated by other published data on T(sub e) at supersonic speeds.

Cybulski, Ronald J.↗
NASA NTRS2007

The Solar Cycle

Sunspots provided the first evidence for the 11-year cycle of solar activity and continue to provide key indicators of the level and nature of solar activity. Solar flares, prominence eruptions, and coronal mass ejections increase in frequency as the number of sunspots increases during the rising phase of the solar cycle. The total irradiance of the Sun and its irradiance in ultraviolet light and x-rays also increase as the sunspot number increases. On the other hand, the flux of galactic cosmic rays reaching Earth decreases as the sunspot number increases. These changes in the heliospheric environment produce significant effects on our environment. Our technological assets, in space, in the air, and on the ground, can be adversely affected by solar activity. Satellite drag, single-event upsets in electronic components, radio communication outages, power outages, and terrestrial climate can all be influenced by solar activity. In this lecture I will describe many of the significant characteristics of the solar cycle, their roots in solar magnetism, the mechanisms of the Sun's magnetic dynamo, and predictions for the amplitude and timing of next solar cycle.

Hathaway, D. H.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Computational Methods to Characterize Panel Loading Conditions for Accelerated Testing

Panel cracking and degradation due to wind loading are known to have a detrimental effect on power output. Recreating these damaging conditions in a controlled experimental setting requires an understanding of the loads being generated at the panel surface as a function of both wind speed, wind direction, and panel orientation. To better understand these relationships, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation package was constructed using an open-source Python library for solving partial differential equations with the finite element method. This CFD package allows the simulated wind speed and panel orientation of a multi-panel array to be easily changed and provides the capability to measure the traction forces at discrete points along the sun-facing and ground-facing surface of an interior panel residing in the wake of one or more upstream panels. A parameter exploration was performed in which the panel angle was varied in even increments from -70 deg to 70 deg and the wind speed was varied from 2 to 30 m/s. During post processing, the measured traction along the panel surface was averaged spatially and interpreted as a time-varying signal, where further processing of this signal yielded the root mean square amplitude and a characteristic frequency associated with the loading. This study found that higher wind speeds are generally associated with increased amplitude of loading and that the panel orientation angle can significantly exacerbate or mitigate this loading. These outcomes are presented along with current work on higher-fidelity verification simulations and recommendations for performing accelerated experimental testing.

loading↗
NASA NTRS2012

NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) Power Processing Unit (PPU) Capacitor Failure Root Cause Analysis

The NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) project is developing an advanced ion propulsion system for future NASA missions for solar system exploration. A critical element of the propulsion system is the Power Processing Unit (PPU) which supplies regulated power to the key components of the thruster. The PPU contains six different power supplies including the beam, discharge, discharge heater, neutralizer, neutralizer heater, and accelerator supplies. The beam supply is the largest and processes up to 93+% of the power. The NEXT PPU had been operated for approximately 200+ hours and has experienced a series of three capacitor failures in the beam supply. The capacitors are in the same, nominally non-critical location the input filter capacitor to a full wave switching inverter. The three failures occurred after about 20, 30, and 135 hours of operation. This paper provides background on the NEXT PPU and the capacitor failures. It discusses the failure investigation approach, the beam supply power switching topology and its operating modes, capacitor characteristics and circuit testing. Finally, it identifies root cause of the failures to be the unusual confluence of circuit switching frequency, the physical layout of the power circuits, and the characteristics of the capacitor.

Soeder, James F.↗
NASA NTRS2012

NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) Power Processing Unit (PPU) Capacitor Failure Root Cause Analysis

The NASA s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) project is developing an advanced ion propulsion system for future NASA missions for solar system exploration. A critical element of the propulsion system is the Power Processing Unit (PPU) which supplies regulated power to the key components of the thruster. The PPU contains six different power supplies including the beam, discharge, discharge heater, neutralizer, neutralizer heater, and accelerator supplies. The beam supply is the largest and processes up to 93+% of the power. The NEXT PPU had been operated for approximately 200+ hr and has experienced a series of three capacitor failures in the beam supply. The capacitors are in the same, nominally non-critical location-the input filter capacitor to a full wave switching inverter. The three failures occurred after about 20, 30, and 135 hr of operation. This paper provides background on the NEXT PPU and the capacitor failures. It discusses the failure investigation approach, the beam supply power switching topology and its operating modes, capacitor characteristics and circuit testing. Finally, it identifies root cause of the failures to be the unusual confluence of circuit switching frequency, the physical layout of the power circuits, and the characteristics of the capacitor.

Soeder, James F.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Attitude translation coupling in a rotating drag-free satellite

The translational and attitude control of a drag-free, rotating satellite are usually designed to be independent of each other. However, coupling may exist which can produce instability. The different types of coupling and the stability conditions are studied, using root locus type techniques. The resulting root loci have unusual shapes due to the nonlinearity of the characteristic polynomial in terms of the coupling parameters. It is possible, however, to use standard root loci techniques by appropriate factoring and subsequent superposition of loci. The effect of the main parameters upon the overall stability of the system is studied. Both, attitude and translation instabilities eventually arise - the former being more critical for typical satellite designs. An analytical expression for the stability boundary is developed.

Sanz Fernandez De Cordova, S.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Cytological and ultrastructural studies on root tissues

The anatomy and fine structure of roots from oat and mung bean seedlings, grown under microgravity conditions for 8 days aboard the Space Shuttle, was examined and compared to that of roots from ground control plants grown under similar conditions. Roots from both sets of oat seedlings exhibited characteristic monocotyledonous tissue organization and normal ultrastructural features, except for cortex cell mitochondria, which exhibited a 'swollen' morphology. Various stages of cell division were observed in the meristematic tissues of oat roots. Ground control and flight-grown mung bean roots also showed normal tissue organization, but root cap cells in the flight-grown roots were collapsed and degraded in appearance, especially at the cap periphery. At the ultrastructural level, these cells exhibited a loss of organelle integrity and a highly-condensed cytoplasm. This latter observation perhaps suggests a differing tissue sensitivity for the two species to growth conditions employed in space flight. The basis for abnormal root cap cell development is not understood, but the loss of these putative gravity-sensing cells holds potential significance for long term plant growth orientation during space flight.

NASA Program Space Biology↗
NASA NTRS1961

Transonic Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Wing-Body Combination having a 52.5 deg Sweptback Wing of Aspect Ratio 3 with Conical Camber and Designed for a Mach Number of the Square Root of 2

An investigation has been made of the effects of conical wing camber and supersonic body indentation on the aerodynamic characteristics of a wing-body configuration at transonic speeds. Wing aspect ratio was 3.0, taper ratio was 0.1, and quarter-chord line sweepback was 52.5 deg with airfoil sections of 0.03 thickness ratio. The tests were conducted in the Langley 16-foot transonic tunnel at various Mach numbers from 0.80 to 1.05 at angles of attack from -4 deg to 14 deg. The cambered-wing configuration achieved higher lift-drag ratios than a similar plane-wing configuration. The camber also reduced the effects of wing-tip flow separation on the aerodynamic characteristics. In general, no stability or trim changes below wing-tip flow separation resulted from the use of camber. The use of supersonic body indentation improved the lift-drag ratios at Mach numbers from 0.96 to 1.05.

Igoe, William B.↗
NASA NTRS1982

A comparative study of monocot and dicot root development in normal /earth/ and hypogravity /space/ environments

The anatomy and fine structure of roots from oat and mung bean seedlings grown under hypogravity conditions aboard NASA's Space Shuttle were examined and compared to those of roots from ground control plants grown under similar conditions. Oat roots from both sets of plants exhibited normal tissue organization and ultrastructural features, with the exception of cortex cell mitochondria, which characteristically showed a 'swollen' morphology. Flight-grown mung bean roots differed significantly from the controls in that root cap cells were somewhat disorganized and degraded in appearance, especially at the cap periphery. At the EM level, these cells exhibited a loss organelle integrity and a condensed cytoplasm. The potential significance of this finding for the putative gravity-sensing cap cells were noted.

Slocum, R. D.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Investigation into the instantaneous centre of rotation for enhanced design of floating offshore wind turbines

The dynamic behaviour of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) involves complex interactions of multivariate loads from wind, waves, and currents, which result in complex motion characteristics. Although methods for analysing global motion responses are well-established, the time- and location-dependent kinematics remain underexplored. This paper investigates the instantaneous centre of rotation (ICR), a point of zero velocity at a time instance of general plane motion. Understanding and strategically positioning the ICR can reduce the dynamic motion in critical structural locations, enhancing the performance and structural robustness of FOWTs. The paper presents a method for computing the ICR using time-domain simulation results and proposes a statistical analysis approach suitable for design studies. Building on prior research, it examines the sensitivity of the ICR to external loading and design features, providing insights into how these factors influence motion response and how the motion response influences the statistics of the ICR, structural loads, and other performance metrics of interest. The study explores two FOWT configurations, a spar and a semisubmersible, identifying design variables that most effectively control the ICR statistics and identifying the ICR statistics most correlated with the responses of interest. Finally, through two case studies, we demonstrate how to apply these new insights in a practical design scenario. By adjusting the design variables most correlated with the ICR (fairlead vertical position and centre of mass for the spar and mooring line length and offset column diameter for the semisubmersible), we successfully modified the designs of the floating support structures to reduce the loads in the mooring lines, tower base, and blade roots, improving the ultimate strength and fatigue characteristics compared to the original designs.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Root exudation links root traits to soil functioning in agroecosystems

Root exudation is a key process for plant nutrient acquisition, but the controls on root exudation and its relationship to soil C and N processes in agroecosystems are unclear. We hypothesized that root exudation rates would be related to root morphological traits, N fertilization, and soil moisture. We also anticipated that root exudation would be correlated with bulk soil enzyme activity. Root exudation, root traits, and bulk soil extracellular enzyme activity were assessed in maize (Zea mays L.), soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), biomass sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), giant miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus), and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). Measurements were taken in situ during two growing seasons with contrasting precipitation regimes, and N fertilization rate was varied in sorghum during one year. Specific root exudation (per unit root surface area) was negatively related to root diameter and was generally higher in annuals than perennials. Sorghum N fertilization did not affect root exudation rates, and soil moisture regime had no effect on annual root exudation rates within maize, sorghum, and miscanthus. Specific root exudation was negatively related to bulk soil C- and N-degrading soil enzyme activities. Intrinsic plant characteristics appeared more important than environmental variables in controlling in situ root exudation rates. The relationships between root diameter, root exudation, and soil C and N processes link root morphological traits to soil functions and demonstrate the potential tradeoffs among plant nutrient acquisition strategies in agroecosystems.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Data for Root Exudation Links Root Traits to Soil Functioning in Agroecosystems

Root exudation is a key process for plant nutrient acquisition, but the controls on root exudation and its relationship to soil C and N processes in agroecosystems are unclear. We hypothesized that root exudation rates would be related to root morphological traits, N fertilization, and soil moisture. We also anticipated that root exudation would be correlated with bulk soil enzyme activity. Root exudation, root traits, and bulk soil extracellular enzyme activity were assessed in maize (Zea mays L.), soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), biomass sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), giant miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus), and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). Measurements were taken in situ during two growing seasons with contrasting precipitation regimes, and N fertilization rate was varied in sorghum during one year. Specific root exudation (per unit root surface area) was negatively related to root diameter and was generally higher in annuals than perennials. Sorghum N fertilization did not affect root exudation rates, and soil moisture regime had no effect on annual root exudation rates within maize, sorghum, and miscanthus. Specific root exudation was negatively related to bulk soil C- and N-degrading soil enzyme activities. Intrinsic plant characteristics appeared more important than environmental variables in controlling in situ root exudation rates. The relationships between root diameter, root exudation, and soil C and N processes link root morphological traits to soil functions and demonstrate the potential tradeoffs among plant nutrient acquisition strategies in agroecosystems.

Biomass Analytics↗
DOE OSTI2020

Optical coherence tomography imaging of plant root growth in soil

Complex interactions between roots and soil provide the nutrients and physical support required for robust plant growth. Yet, visualizing the root-soil interface is challenged by soil’s opaque scattering characteristics. In this paper, we describe methods for using optical coherence tomography (OCT) to provide non-destructive 3D and cross-sectional root imaging not available with traditional bright field microscopy. OCT is regularly used for bioimaging, especially in ophthalmology where it can detect retinal abnormalities. Prior use of OCT in plant biology has focused on surface defects of above ground tissues, predominantly in food crops. Our results show OCT is also viable for detailed, in situ study of living plant roots.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗