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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 NTRS1995

Device for testing continuity and/or short circuits in a cable

A device for testing current paths is attachable to a conductor. The device automatically checks the current paths of the conductor for continuity of a center conductor, continuity of a shield and a short circuit between the shield and the center conductor. The device includes a pair of connectors and a circuit to provide for testing of the conductive paths of the cable. The pair of connectors electrically connects the conductive paths of a cable to be tested with the circuit paths of the circuit. The circuit paths in the circuit include indicators to simultaneously indicate the results of the testing.

Hayhurst, Arthur R.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Adjustable Focus Optical Correction Lens (AFOCL)

This report describes the activities and accomplishments along with the status of the characterization of a PLZT-based Adjustable Focus Optical Correction Lens (AFOCL) test device. The activities described in this report were undertaken by members of the Center for Applied Optics (CAO) at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) under NASA Contract NAS8-00188. The effort was led by Dr. Bruce Peters as the Principal Investigator and supported by Dr. Patrick Reardon, Ms. Deborah Bailey, and graduate student Mr. Jeremy Wong. The activities outlined for the first year of the contract were to identify vendors and procure a test device along with performing the initial optical characterization of the test device. This activity has been successfully executed and test results are available and preliminary information was published at the SPIE Photonics West Conference in San Jose, January 2001. The paper, "Preliminary investigation of an active PLZT lens," was well received and generated response with several questions from the audience. A PLZT test device has been commercially procured from an outside vendor: The University of California in San Diego (UCSD) in partnership with New Interconnect Packaging Technologies (NIPT) Inc. The device has been subjected to several tests to characterize the optical performance of the device at wavelengths of interest. The goal was to evaluate the AFOCL similar to a conventional lens and measure any optical aberrations present due to the PLZT material as a deviation in the size of the diffraction limited spot (blur), the presence of diffracted energy into higher orders surrounding the focused spot (a variation in Strehl), and/or a variation or spread in the location of the focused energy away from the optical axis (a bias towards optical wedge, spherical, comma, or other higher order aberrations). While data has been collected indicative of the imaging quality of the AFOCL test device, it was not possible to fully characterize the optical performance of the AFOCL alone because there were significant optical distortions due to fabrication related issues.

Peters, Bruce R.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Testing Electronic Devices for Single-Event Upset

Report prepared describes equipment and summarizes both pretest and onsite procedures for testing of digital electronic devices for susceptibility to single-event upset. Term "single-event upset" denotes variety of temporary or permanent bit flips or latchup induced by single particles of ionizing radiation. Vacuum chamber houses device under test while exposed to ion beam. Vacuum chamber and associated equipment must be brought to ion-beam facility for test.

Nichols, D. K.↗
DOE OSTI2017

A Holographic Prism Based on Photo-Thermo-Refractive Glass: Requirements and Possibilities

A technology for multivalued holographic measurement of a plane angle—a holographic prism, which serves as the basis for a device for calibrating the testing tools for navigational equipment under rolling— has been developed. The holographic prism is a miniature sample of photosensitive material, which contains a system of superimposed holographic gratings, and a laser the radiation of which passes through gratings to form a fan of diffracted beams. The fan in a prism based on a calcium fluoride (fluorite) crystal with color centers contained six out-of-plane beams radiating from a region with a hard-to-localize center. This fact hindered calibration of the measure and its application in the testing device. The use of photothermo-refractive glass as a material for preparing a sample and recording a system of holograms in it makes it possible to eliminate the drawbacks of fluorite-based prism. The number of holograms rises up to 21, the fan becomes in-plane, and its center is localized in a small region, with a size of several tenths of the sample thickness (1–2 mm). The fan beams are energetically homogeneous, and each can be identified when using the fan in a testing device.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS2019

TPSAS-NF1676L-32867-DND

During the summer of 2019, a Fokker F28 MK1000 aircraft was crash tested at the Landing and Impact Research Facility (LandIR) at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). The test, which was conducted in cooperation with the FAA Technical Center and the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI), had multiple objectives. The first objective was to obtain data for aircraft undergoing a combined vertical plus horizontal impact condition, and then compare results to aircraft sections under vertical loading only. The second was to evaluate Anthropomorphic Test Devices (ATDs, a.k.a. crash test dummies) of various sizes and positions for the determination of occupant injury. The third was to evaluate new and novel experimental ATDs including a larger Hybrid III, the Test Device for Human Occupant Restraint (THOR), and the Warrior Injury Assessment Manikin (WIAMan). Finally, the generated data was used to calibrate and validate computer simulation efforts. On-board data acquisition systems (DAS) captured loading on the airframe and the 24 on-board occupants while multiple high-speed cameras captured the motion. The port side of the airframe was painted with a stochastic monochromatic speckle pattern to allow for the collection of high-speed airframe deformation digital image correlation data. Airframe and occupant responses from each of the tests will be presented, and airframe and restraint performance will be discussed.

Justin Littell↗
DOE OSTI2023

International Benchmarking: A Global Perspective of Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing

Workplace drug and alcohol testing has been widely implemented in diverse industries and is designed to detect the use of and deter the influence of legal and illegal substances that would impair the ability to perform work that has significant security and safety implications. Across the globe, patterns of drug and alcohol use and abuse and the regulations controlling drug and alcohol use vary by location (e.g., regions, countries, etc.). The prevalence of workplace drug and alcohol testing and protection of individuals’ rights in the workplace similarly tend to exhibit contextual differences. With the advancements in drug-testing technologies and the recent issuance of guidance for additional testing matrices (e.g., oral fluid, hair, etc.) by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, gaining a global perspective on the current state of drug and alcohol testing practices and regulations is important for leveraging such advancements to improve the effectiveness of drug and alcohol testing. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) tasked the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) fitness for duty (FFD) team to conduct a benchmarking analysis of international drug and alcohol testing regulations and programs to identify similarities and differences in workplace testing programs and the basis for any differences. The benchmarking study focuses on a policy analysis and benchmarking metrics comparison among different countries and regions. The policy analysis includes the following three types of relevant international and national policies relevant to drug and alcohol testing in the nuclear industry: 1. National drug and alcohol policy 2. Workplace drug and alcohol testing 3. FFD regulations for Nuclear Power Plants The international drug and alcohol benchmarking metrics focusses on the use of blood, breath, urine, hair, and oral fluid in testing; drug and drug metabolite cutoff values; point-of-collection testing devices; roadside testing methodologies; innovations in drug testing; and the extent of availability of such data. Gaining an understanding of workplace drug and alcohol testing in other countries as well as information about new testing methods, matrices, tools, and technologies that other countries have adopted provides NRC with international comparative information regarding the technical basis for such programs and methods as it relates to the protection of worker and public health and safety.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗
NASA NTRS1983

Hybrid silicon focal plane arrays

Applications were demonstrated for hybrid silicon infrared CCD arrays in both ground and space based astronomical instrumentation. The primary goal was to provide a point of departure for both instrument designs and further development of the device. The test device is an indium doped silicon (Si:In) version of the 32 x 32 Rockwell 30331 surface channel hybrid silicon IRCCD. The device structure and a typical instrument interface are shown. The motivation for further study is presented along with a discussion in detail of some of the issues.

Pommerrenig, D.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Multispectral impedance determination under dynamic load conditions

Impedance testing devices, circuits, systems, and related methods are disclosed. A Device Under Test (DUT) is excited with a multispectral excitation signal for an excitation time period while the DUT is under a load condition from a load operably coupled to the DUT. A response of the DUT is sampled over a sample time period. The sample time period is configured such that it includes an in-band interval during the excitation time period and one or more out-of-band intervals outside of the in-band interval. A response of the DUT to the load condition during the in-band interval is estimated by analyzing samples of the response from the one or more out-of-band intervals. Adjusted samples are computed by subtracting the estimated load response during the in-band interval from the samples from the in-band interval. An impedance of the DUT is estimated by analyzing the adjusted samples.

Christophersen, Jon P.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Pressure-Application Device for Testing Pressure Sensors

A portable pressure-application device has been designed and built for use in testing and calibrating piezoelectric pressure transducers in the field. The device generates pressure pulses of known amplitude. A pressure pulse (in contradistinction to a steady pressure) is needed because in the presence of a steady pressure, the electrical output of a piezoelectric pressure transducer decays rapidly with time. The device includes a stainless- steel compressed-air-storage cylinder of 500 cu cm volume. A manual hand pump with check valves and a pressure gauge are located at one end of the cylinder. A three-way solenoid valve that controls the release of pressurized air is located at the other end of the cylinder. Power for the device is provided by a 3.7-V cordless-telephone battery. The valve is controlled by means of a pushbutton switch, which activates a 5 V to +/-15 V DC-to-DC converter that powers the solenoid. The outlet of the solenoid valve is connected to the pressure transducer to be tested. Before the solenoid is energized, the transducer to be tested is at atmospheric pressure. When the solenoid is actuated by the push button, pressurized air from inside the cylinder is applied to the transducer. Once the pushbutton is released, the cylinder pressure is removed from the transducer and the pressurized air applied to the transducer is vented, bringing the transducer back to atmospheric pressure. Before this device was used for actual calibration, its accuracy was checked with a NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) traceable calibrator and commercially calibrated pressure transducers. This work was done by Wanda Solano of Stennis Space Center and Greg Richardson of Lockheed Martin Corp.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2019

Characterizing the Distribution of Microwave Surface Resistance of HTS Film Based on Metal Ring

This paper presents a novel method for measuring the microwave surface resistance distribution of high-temperature superconducting thin films by a dielectric resonator with a metal ring. After calibration, the effect of metal ring loss on measurement accuracy is negligible. The measurement resolution is determined by the internal diameter of the metal ring, which makes the design of the device more flexible. Therefore, measurement with high resolution and convenience can be achieved simultaneously by using a metal ring with proper size and operating at a relatively low frequency. A test device working at 32 GHz with TE{sub 01(1 + δ)} mode was developed. Its resolution is a circular area with a diameter of 5 mm and an area of 19.6 mm{sup 2}. The unloaded quality factor of the test device is more than 140,000, when it is loaded by the calibration cavity. The test device has a relative uncertainty of less than 6%, which complies with the uncertainty (20%) specified by the international standard for the microwave surface resistance measurement of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) thin film. The surface resistance distribution of a 2-in. YBCO/LAO/YBCO superconducting film sample was measured by this test device.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Control blade degradation test under temperature gradient in steam atmosphere

The core of a boiling water reactor (BWR) consists of an array of fuel assemblies with cross-shaped control blades located between these assemblies. The typical control blade consists of a control blade sheath made of 316L-type S.S., a center pole made of 316L-type S.S., and control rods. In order to understand the degradation process of the control blade channel, control blade degradation tests were performed under various atmospheres with a temperature increase condition and in the presence of a temperature gradient. A test device was built. Four carbon heaters are set on both sides at the upper and the middle parts of the test device. The bottom ceramic part of the test device is cooled by water. Heating in the upper region and cooling at the bottom of the test piece give rise to the temperature gradient in the test piece. Temperatures of the test piece are measured by five W-Re type thermocouples placed close to the test piece. Steam carried by the argon gas is supplied from the bottom of the device and flows to the top inside a square carbon muffle in which the test piece is set. Three windows for visual observations are installed, with one located above the furnace and the others located at the back of the furnace. In the steam atmosphere with a steam flow rate of 0.0125 g/s/rod, the control blade, channel box, and fuel rods were degraded, especially at the upper part of the test piece. This result was similar to that observed in the argon atmosphere test. However, the observed degradation was rather different at a higher steam flow rate of 0.0417 g/s/rod. At the upper part of the test piece, only the control blade was degraded preferentially and did not react with the channel box wall. In contrast, the eutectic reaction of the stainless steel/boron carbide melt and zircaloy occurred at the lower part by coexisting with the relocated melt from the top part. These observations suggested the existence of a threshold condition for the control rod degradation between 0.0125 and 0.0417 g/s/rod which is significantly affected by the thickness of the oxide layer on zircaloy.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-T-496: An Investigation of Two Novel Devices for Testing Linac Clearance During CT Simulation

Purpose: This work’s objective is to determine the efficacy of two newly patented devices termed the Mor-O rings, Mark1 and Mark2, developed to predict collisions between the patient and a linac at the time of CT simulation. Methods: Mark1: A ring with an inner radius equal to the distance between the isocenter and the nearest portion of a linac head(diso) was made. This is mounted to a stand that allows vertical repositioning. The ring is placed around the patient on the CT table and aligned with isocenter. The patient is moved through the ring. If the ring touches the patient, a collision is predicted. To test this device, predicted collisions were marked on a phantom. The phantom was then repositioned on the linac table where the collisions were verified. Mark2: An arc with the radius diso was created with a re-locatable half-linac head wire-frame. The Mark2 is positioned in the same way as the Mark1 but can additionally mimic couch and gantry angulations. The Mark2 was tested with a volunteer using multiple couch, gantry and isocenter positions. The volunteer was then repositioned on the linac table to verify the angles of collisions. Results: Mark1: One isocenter out of ten showed negative clearance (0.9mm) on the linac table. All other collisions were predicted with 1 to 36mm of additional clearance. Mark2: All collisions were prevented with an additional 1.3 to 14.8 degrees of clearance. Conclusion: The Mark1 prototype is able to predict all collisions when no couch angulation is used. This device takes less than a minute to setup and is simple to use. The Mark2, when testing beam geometries used for noncoplanar SBRT, was able to prevent all collisions with 1.3 to 14.8 degrees additional clearance. Improvements in construction for both devices could increase accuracy and usability. Andrew Morrow owns Morrow Physics, LLC and Brian Massingill owns Spur Physics, LLC. We are both listed on the patent for the devices investigated in this work (patent 9220922). Our current employer, Baylor Scott and White, is also on the patent.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2012

Performance Testing using Silicon Devices - Analysis of Accuracy: Preprint

Accurately determining PV module performance in the field requires accurate measurements of solar irradiance reaching the PV panel (i.e., Plane-of-Array - POA Irradiance) with known measurement uncertainty. Pyranometers are commonly based on thermopile or silicon photodiode detectors. Silicon detectors, including PV reference cells, are an attractive choice for reasons that include faster timeresponse (10 us) than thermopile detectors (1 s to 5 s), lower cost and maintenance. The main drawback of silicon detectors is their limited spectral response. Therefore, to determine broadband POA solar irradiance, a pyranometer calibration factor that converts the narrowband response to broadband is required. Normally this calibration factor is a single number determined under clear-skyconditions with respect to a broadband reference radiometer. The pyranometer is then used for various scenarios including varying airmass, panel orientation and atmospheric conditions. This would not be an issue if all irradiance wavelengths that form the broadband spectrum responded uniformly to atmospheric constituents. Unfortunately, the scattering and absorption signature varies widely withwavelength and the calibration factor for the silicon photodiode pyranometer is not appropriate for other conditions. This paper reviews the issues that will arise from the use of silicon detectors for PV performance measurement in the field based on measurements from a group of pyranometers mounted on a 1-axis solar tracker. Also we will present a comparison of simultaneous spectral andbroadband measurements from silicon and thermopile detectors and estimated measurement errors when using silicon devices for both array performance and resource assessment.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1998

Method and Apparatus for Testing Microwave Devices and Circuits in a Controlled Environment

A test system is disclosed that enables the testing of microwave components in a controlled environment without disturbing that environment. The system includes a test fixture which holds the calibration standards and the component being tested, and environmental control chamber, and a microwave switching system. The system provides a coaxial connection to microwave testing equipment, such as an automatic network analyzer (ANA) and facilitates both calibration and testing while maintaining environmental integrity.

Miranda, Felix A.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Visco Jet Joule-Thomson Device Characterization Tests in Liquid Methane

Joule-Thomson (J-T) devices have been identified as critical components for Thermodynamic Vent Systems (TVS) planned for future space exploration missions. Lee Visco Jets (The Lee Company) (Ref. 4) are one type of J-T device that may be used for LCH4 propellant systems. Visco Jets have been previously tested and characterized in LN2 and LH2 (Refs. 6 and 7), but have not been characterized in LOX or LCH4. Previous Visco Jet tests with LH2 resulted in clogging of the Visco Jet orifice under certain conditions. It has been postulated that this clogging was due to the presence of neon impurities in the LH2 that solidified in the orifices. Visco Jets therefore require testing in LCH4 to verify that they will not clog under normal operating conditions. This report describes a series of tests that were performed at the NASA Glenn Research Center to determine if Visco Jets would clog under normal operating conditions with LCH4 propellant. Test results from this program indicate that no decrease in flow rate was observed for the Visco Jets tested, and that current equation used for predicting flow rate appears to under-predict actual flow at high Lohm ratings.

Jurns, John M.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Quantitative optical scanning tests of complex microcircuits

An approach for the development of the optical scanner as a screening inspection instrument for microcircuits involves comparing the quantitative differences in photoresponse images and then correlating them with electrical parameter differences in test devices. The existing optical scanner was modified so that the photoresponse data could be recorded and subsequently digitized. A method was devised for applying digital image processing techniques to the digitized photoresponse data in order to quantitatively compare the data. Electrical tests were performed and photoresponse images were recorded before and following life test intervals on two groups of test devices. Correlations were made between differences or changes in the electrical parameters of the test devices.

Erickson, J. J.↗