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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 NTRS1971

Effects of skylight polarization, cloudiness, and view angle on the detection of oil on water.

Three passive radiometric techniques, which use the contrast of sunlight reflected and backscattered from oil and water in specific wavelength regions, have potential application for remote sensing of oil spills. These techniques consist of measuring (1) total radiance, (2) the polarization components (normal and parallel) of radiance, and (3) the difference between the normal and parallel components. In this paper, the best view directions for these techniques are evaluated, conclusions are drawn as to the most promising technique, and explanations are developed to describe why previous total-radiance measurements yielded highest contrast between oil and water under overcast skies. The technique based on measurement of only the normal polorization component appears to be the most promising. The differential technique should be further investigated because of its potential to reduce the component of backscattered light from below the surface of the water. Measurements should be made about 45 deg nadir view angle in the direction opposite the sun. Overcast sky conditions provide a higher intensity of skylight relative to clear sky conditions and a lower intensity of backscatter within the water relative to surface reflectance. These factors result in higher contrast between oil and water under overcast skies.

Millard, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Circuit for automatic load sharing in parallel converter modules

A nondissipative circuit for automatic load sharing in parallel converter modules having push-pull power transistors is presented. Each transistor has a separate current-sensing transformer and an impedance-adjusting transformer in series with its collector. The impedance-adjusting transformer functions as a current-controlled variable impedance that is responsive to the difference between the peak collector current of the transistor and the average peak current of all collector currents of power transistors in all modules, thereby to control the collector currents of all power transistors with reference to the average peak collector current.

Nagano, S.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Biaxial load effects in fracture mechanics

It is found that the standard expressions for elastic stress and displacement in the crack-tip region (i.e., the so-called singular solution) cannot be considered to be approximations that are acceptable in a completely general sense. This conclusion is best illustrated by the instance of a biaxially loaded infinite sheet with a flat horizontal central crack, where the effect of load applied parallel to the plane of the crack appears entirely in the second terms of the series representations for local stresses and displacements. An elastoplastic finite-element analysis of the same biaxially loaded finite specimen geometry shows that the global energy release rate, the J-integral, the plastic stress and strain intensity factors (in the sense of Hilton and Hutchinson), and the size of the crack border region plastic yield, all have pronounced biaxial load dependence.

Liebowitz, H.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Method and apparatus for sensing a desired component of an incident magnetic field using magneto resistive elements biased in different directions

A method and apparatus for sensing a desired component of a magnetic field using an isotropic magnetoresistive material. This is preferably accomplished by providing a bias field that is parallel to the desired component of the applied magnetic field. The bias field is applied in a first direction relative to a first set of magnetoresistive sensor elements, and in an opposite direction relative to a second set of magnetoresistive sensor elements. In this configuration, the desired component of the incident magnetic field adds to the bias field incident on the first set of magnetoresistive sensor elements, and subtracts from the bias field incident on the second set of magnetoresistive sensor elements. The magnetic field sensor may then sense the desired component of the incident magnetic field by simply sensing the difference in resistance of the first set of magnetoresistive sensor elements and the second set of magnetoresistive sensor elements.

Pant, Bharat B.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Flexible Framework for Capacitive Sensing

A flexible framework supports electrically-conductive elements in a capacitive sensing arrangement. Identical frames are arranged end-to-end with adjacent frames being capable of rotational movement there between. Each frame has first and second passages extending therethrough and parallel to one another. Each of the first and second passages is adapted to receive an electrically-conductive element therethrough. Each frame further has a hollowed-out portion for the passage of a fluent material therethrough. The hollowed-out portion is sized and shaped to provide for capacitive sensing along a defined region between the electrically-conductive element in the first passage and the electrically-conductive element in the second passage.

Woodard, Stanley E.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The turbulent twisted magnetic flux tube gas

The kinematic behavior of a dilute, two-dimensional 'gas' of parallel twisted magnetic flux tubes in a highly conducting fluid is considered. Collisions between flux tubes with the same sense of twist are inelastic due to the reconnection of their oppositely directed azimuthal magnetic field components at impact. In some collisions, the tension in the reconnected magnetic flux is sufficient to bind the two flux tubes together. Collisions between flux tubes with the opposite sense of twist are elastic. It is shown that a tenuous gas of individual twisted flux tubes condenses into two large-scale regions of magnetic field with opposite twists. This calculation illustrates the results of Montgomery and co-workers on the migration of magnetic energy towards small wavenumbers in two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence. In particular, this problem illustrates the dynamical nonequilibrium of the relaxation phase in turbulent MHD systems.

Bogdan, T. J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Optical computing at NASA Ames Research Center

Optical computing research at NASA Ames Research Center seeks to utilize the capability of analog optical processing, involving free-space propagation between components, to produce natural implementations of algorithms requiring large degrees of parallel computation. Potential applications being investigated include robotic vision, planetary lander guidance, aircraft engine exhaust analysis, analysis of remote sensing satellite multispectral images, control of space structures, and autonomous aircraft inspection.

Reid, Max B.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Seismicity, shear failure and modes of deformation in deep subduction zones

The joint hypocentral determination method is used to relocate deep seismicity reported in the International Seismological Center catalog for earthquakes deeper than 400 km in the Honshu, Bonin, Mariannas, Java, Banda, and South America subduction zones. Each deep seismic zone is found to display planar features of seismicity parallel to the Harvard centroid-moment tensor nodal planes, which are identified as planes of shear failure. The sense of displacement on these planes is one of resistance to deeper penetration.

Lundgren, Paul R.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Means for Positioning and Repositioning Scanning Instruments

A method is presented for positioning a scanning instrument to point toward the center of the desired scan wherein the scan is achieved by rotating unbalanced masses (RUMs) rotating about fixed axes of rotation relative to and associated with the instrument, the RUMs being supported on drive shafts spaced from the center of the mass of the instrument and rotating 180 degrees out-of-phase with each other and in planes parallel to each other to achieve the scan. The elevation and cross-elevation angles of the instrument are sensed to determine any offset and offset time rate-of-change, and the magnitude and direction are converted to a RUM cycle angular velocity component to be superimposed on the nominal velocity of the RUMs. This RUM angular velocity component modulates the RUM angular velocity to cause the speed of the RUMs to increase and decrease during each revolution to drive the instrument toward the desired center of the scan.

Polites, Michael E.↗
NASA NTRS1999

177-207 GHz Radiometer Front End: Single Sideband Measurements

Twenty years of progress in 200 GHz receivers for spaceborne remote sensing has yielded a 180-220 GHz technology with maturing characteristics, as evident by increasing availability of relevant hardware, paralleled by further refinement in receiver performance requirements at this spectrum band. The 177-207 GHz superheterodyne receiver, for the Earth observing system (EOS) microwave limb sounder (MLS), effectively illustrates such technology developments. This MLS receiver simultaneously detects six different signals, located at sidebands below and above its 191.95 GHZ local-oscillator (LO). The paper describes the MLS 177-207 GHz receiver front-end (RFE), and provides measured data for its lower and upper sidebands. Sideband ratio data is provided as a function of IF frequency, at different LO power drive, and for variation in the ambient temperature.

Galin, I.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Efficiency of group implicit concurrent algorithms for transient finite element analysis

The performance of group implicit algorithms is assessed on actual concurrent computers. It is shown that, as the number of subdomains is increased, performance enhancements are derived from two sources: the increased parallelism in the computations; and a reduction in equation solving effort. Moreover, these two performance enhancements are synergistic, in the sense that the corresponding speed-ups are multiplied, rather than merely added. Simulations on a 32-node hypercube are presented for which the interprocessor communications efficiencies obtained are consistently in excess of 90 percent.

Ortiz, M.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Demonstration of Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) Performance for Planetary and Geostationary Earth Observing

The combination of massively parallel spatial sampling and accurate spectral radiometry offered by imaging FTS makes it extremely attractive for earth and planetary remote sensing. We constructed a breadboard instrument to help assess the potential for planetary applications of small imaging FTS instruments in the 1 - 5 micrometer range. The results also support definition of the NASA Geostationary Imaging FTS (GIFTS) instrument that will make key meteorological and climate observations from geostationary earth orbit. The Planetary Imaging FTS (PIFTS) breadboard is based on a custom miniaturized Bomen interferometer that uses corner cube reflectors, a wishbone pivoting voice-coil delay scan mechanism, and a laser diode metrology system. The interferometer optical output is measured by a commercial infrared camera procured from Santa Barbara Focalplane. It uses an InSb 128x128 detector array that covers the entire FOV of the instrument when coupled with a 25 mm focal length commercial camera lens. With appropriate lenses and cold filters the instrument can be used from the visible to 5 micrometers. The delay scan is continuous, but slow, covering the maximum range of +/- 0.4 cm in 37.56 sec at a rate of 500 image frames per second. Image exposures are timed to be centered around predicted zero crossings. The design allows for prediction algorithms that account for the most recent fringe rate so that timing jitter produced by scan speed variations can be minimized. Response to a fixed source is linear with exposure time nearly to the point of saturation. Linearity with respect to input variations was demonstrated to within 0.16% using a 3-point blackbody calibration. Imaging of external complex scenes was carried out at low and high spectral resolution. These require full complex calibration to remove background contributions that vary dramatically over the instrument FOV. Testing is continuing to demonstrate the precise radiometric accuracy and noise characteristics.

Revercomb, Henry E.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Two-axis magnetic field sensor

A ferromagnetic thin-film based magnetic field sensor with first and second sensitive direction sensing structures each having a nonmagnetic intermediate layer with two major surfaces on opposite sides thereof having a magnetization reference layer on one and an anisotropic ferromagnetic material sensing layer on the other having a length in a selected length direction and a smaller width perpendicular thereto and parallel to the relatively fixed magnetization direction. The relatively fixed magnetization direction of said magnetization reference layer in each is oriented in substantially parallel to the substrate but substantially perpendicular to that of the other. An annealing process is used to form the desired magnetization directions.

Jander, Albrecht↗
NASA NTRS1989

Load balancing and task decomposition techniques for parallel implementation of integrated vision systems algorithms

Several techniques are presented to perform static and dynamic load balancing schemes for integrated vision systems. These techniques are novel in the sense that they capture the computational requirements of a task by examining the data when they are produced. Furthermore, they can be applied to many integrated vision systems because many algorithms in different systems are either the same or have similar computational characteristics. These techniques are evaluated by applying them to the algorithms in a motion estimation system. It is shown that the performance gains when these techniques are used are significant and the overhead of using these techniques is minimal. The performance is evaluated by implementing the algorithms using the presented techniques on a hypercube multiprocessor system.

Choudhary, Alok N.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Fractal statistics of cloud fields

Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS) and Thematic Mapper (TM) data, with 80 and 30 m spatial resolution, respectively, have been employed to study the spatial structure of boundary-layer and intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) clouds. The probability distributions of cloud areas and cloud perimeters are found to approximately follow a power-law, with a different power (i.e., fractal dimension) for each cloud type. They are better approximated by a double power-law behavior, indicating a change in the fractal dimension at a characteristic size which depends upon cloud type. The fractal dimension also changes with threshold. The more intense cloud areas are found to have a higher perimeter fractal dimension, perhaps indicative of the increased turbulence at cloud top. A detailed picture of the inhomogeneous spatial structure of various cloud types will contribute to a better understanding of basic cloud processes, and also has implications for the remote sensing of clouds, for their effects on remote sensing of other parameters, and for the parameterization of clouds in general circulation models, all of which rely upon plane-parallel radiative transfer algorithms.

Cahalan, Robert F.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Hyperspectral data analysis procedures with reduced sensitivity to noise

Multispectral sensor systems have become steadily improved over the years in their ability to deliver increased spectral detail. With the advent of hyperspectral sensors, including imaging spectrometers, this technology is in the process of taking a large leap forward, thus providing the possibility of enabling delivery of much more detailed information. However, this direction of development has drawn even more attention to the matter of noise and other deleterious effects in the data, because reducing the fundamental limitations of spectral detail on information collection raises the limitations presented by noise to even greater importance. Much current effort in remote sensing research is thus being devoted to adjusting the data to mitigate the effects of noise and other deleterious effects. A parallel approach to the problem is to look for analysis approaches and procedures which have reduced sensitivity to such effects. We discuss some of the fundamental principles which define analysis algorithm characteristics providing such reduced sensitivity. One such analysis procedure including an example analysis of a data set is described, illustrating this effect.

Landgrebe, David A.↗
NASA NTRS2006

System providing limit switch function with simultaneous absolute position output

A limit and position sensing system includes a sensor assembly and an emitter. The sensor assembly includes first and second electrical conductors arranged in opposing parallel planes. The first electrical conductor is coiled outwardly from either end thereof in a clockwise fashion to form a first coil region and a second coil region. The second electrical conductor forms a single coil with portions of the single coil's rings lying between the first end and second end of the first electrical conductor being parallel to an axis of the first electrical conductor's plane. Ferromagnetic material is aligned with the first and second electrical conductors and spans beyond (a) the first and second ends of the first electrical conductor, and (b) the portions of the rings of the second electrical conductor's single coil that lie between the first end and second end of the first electrical conductor. The emitter is spaced apart from the sensor assembly and transmits a periodic electromagnetic wave towards the sensor assembly.

Alhorn, Dean C.↗
NASA NTRS2021

3D Cloud Tomography and Droplet Size Retrieval from Multi-Angle Polarimetric Imaging of Scattered Sunlight from Above

Tomography aims to recover a three-dimensional (3D) density map of a medium or an object. In medical imaging,it is extensively used for diagnostics via X-ray computed tomography (CT). We define and derive a tomographyof cloud droplet distributions via passive remote sensing. We use multi-view polarimetric images to fit a 3Dpolarized radiative transfer (RT) forward model. Our motivation is 3D volumetric probing of vertically-developedconvectively-driven clouds that are ill-served by current methods in operational passive remote sensing. Currenttechniques are indeed based on strictly 1D RT modeling and applied to a single cloudy pixel, where cloud geometrydefaults to that of a plane-parallel slab. Incident unpolarized sunlight, once scattered by cloud droplets, changesits polarization state according to droplet size. Therefore, polarimetric measurements in the rainbow and gloryangular regions can be used to infer the droplet size distribution. This work defines and derives a framework for afull 3D tomography of cloud droplets for both their mass concentration in space and their distribution across arange of sizes. This gridded 3D retrieval of key microphysical properties is made tractable by our novel approachthat involves a restructuring and partial linearization of an open-source polarized 3D RT code to accommodate aspecial two-step iterative optimization technique. Physically-realistic synthetic clouds are used to demonstrate themethodology with rigorous uncertainty quantification, while a real-world cloud imaged by AirMSPI is processedto illustrate the new remote sensing capability

Schechner, Yoav Y.↗