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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 127 records · Page 7

A case study of technology transfer: Rehabilitative engineering at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital

The transfer of NASA technolgy to rehabilitative applications of artificial limbs is studied. Human factors engineering activities range from orthotic manipulators to tiny dc motors and transducers to detect and transmit voluntary control signals. It is found that bicarbon implant devices are suitable for medical equipment and artificial limbs because of their biological compatibility with human body fluids and tissues.

Hildred, W.↗

Energy conversion research and development with diminiodes

Diminiodes are variable-gap cesium diodes with plane miniature guarded electrodes. These converters allow thermionic evaluations of tiny pieces of rare solids. In addition to smallness, diminiode advantages comprise simplicity, precision, fabrication ease, parts interchangeability, cleanliness, full instrumentation, direct calibration, ruggedness, and economy. Diminiodes with computerized thermionic performance mapping make electrode screening programs practical.

Morris, J. F.↗

Preparation of ultra small samples for optical and microprobe analysis

This paper describes a simple but satisfactory new method for the preparation of tiny, varied and specialized specimens for electron or ion-microprobe analysis developed over the past five years. Microtektites, individual chondrules, single grains, blebs from lunar samples and meteoritic minerals have been prepared by this technique. A description of the preparation of these usually difficult samples from the initial mounting through the various polishing steps to their final polish is presented in detail. The procedures used to prevent any contamination of these specimens by the polishing agents and to prevent cross contamination to the other samples used for geochronology studies are presented.

Inman, C. S.↗

Study to define behavior of liquid lubricants in an elastohydrodynamic contact

The spectra of an ester and a saturated hydrocarbon polymer were obtained at pressures ranging from ambient to 2 GN/sq m (20 kilobar) and at temperatures between ambient and 180 C in absorption and between 150 C and 210 C in emission. To simulate contact conditions the fluids were contained in the tiny sample volume of a diamond cell, i.e., the hole in a metal spacer separating two diamonds pressed against each other in a nut crackerlike arrangement. Pressures could be deduced from bandshifts and states of aggregation from bandwidths in the fluorescence spectrum of a ruby crystal immersed in the fluids. An infrared Fourier transform spectrometer was used with attachments specially designed to analyze the radiation passed through the sample and both diamonds (absorption technique) or the radiation emanating from the heated sample and passing through only one diamond (emission technique). The latter technique is applicable to operating EHD contacts. Spectral changes pointing to possible glass transitions and composition changes were observed. Emission and absorption spectra were generally equivalent. Some emission bandshapes appear to be temperature sensitive enough to be useful as internal temperature probes.

Lauer, J. L.↗

Simulation of lunar carbon chemistry. II - Lunar winds contribution

Simulation experiments, computations, and analysis of glassy agglutinates show that a directly condensed lunar wind vapor phase is strongly depleted in carbon and sulfur compounds and may recrystallize rapidly in the lunar thermal cycle and separate from host crystals. Factors preventing identification of low-energy species implanted from the lunar atmosphere are discussed. Computational results indicate that the implanted lunar winds carbon originates both from the vapor phases injected into the lunar atmosphere during thermal metamorphism of mature lunar soil grains and from direct volatization of impacting micrometeorites. It is suggested that microglass splashes and tiny crystalline grains possibly attached to the surface of coarser grains do not affect the characteristics of solar wind carbon chemistry in the lunar soil.

Bibring, J. P.↗

Methods for testing high voltage connectors in vacuum, measurements of thermal stresses in encapsulated assemblies, and measurement of dielectric strength of electrodes in encapsulants versus radius of curvature

Internal embedment stress measurements were performed, using tiny ferrite core transformers, whose voltage output was calibrated versus pressure by the manufacturer. Comparative internal strain measurements were made by attaching conventional strain gages to the same type of resistors and encapsulating these in various potting compounds. Both types of determinations were carried out while temperature cycling from 77 C to -50 C.

Bever, R. S.↗

Disintegration phenomena in Comet West

Two peculiarities of Comet West, the multiple splitting of the nucleus as seen in telescope observations and the complex structure of the dust tail, are discussed. A method of analysis based on the premise that the observed rate of separation of a fragment from the principal nucleus is determined by the difference in effective solar attraction acting on the bodies is applied to investigate the motion of the four fragments that separated from the nucleus of Comet West. The predicted motion of the fragments is in good agreement with available observations. It is suggested that the 'synchronic' bands of the dust tail consist of tiny fragments from relatively large particles that burst after release from the comet. The unusual orientation of these bands and their high surface brightness relative to the diffuse tail are explained by a sudden increase in the particle acceleration and in the total scattering surface as the result of the disintegration of the larger particles.

Sekanina, Z.↗

Advances in gamma-ray burst astronomy

The paper reviews the current status of observational research into the highly puzzling problem of cosmic gamma-ray bursts. Up to now there is no convincing temporal or spatial correlation with any known celestial processes or objects. The typical burst source strength is somewhere between 10 to the 26th power ergs and 10 to the 52nd power ergs. A list of 39 confirmed and 9 unconfirmed cosmic gamma-ray bursts observed by satellite is given, showing times of occurrence and in some cases, the size in erg per square centimeter. Several approaches to the problem of source object identification are discussed: (1) accumulation of observation statistics with their present poor resolution and research for correlative phenomena, (2) mapping out celestial source distributions with moderate resolution in order to search for galactic or other anisotropies in direction or to look for repeating source regions, and (3) very high-accuracy localization of the source directions of one or several bursts in order to pinpoint a tiny fraction of the celestial sphere for correlative radio, optical and X-ray studies. Planned future instrumentation for deep space probes and multiple-balloon studies is described.

Cline, T. L.↗

Stratospheric aerosols and climatic change

Generated primarily by volcanic explosions, a layer of submicron silicate particles and particles made of concentrated sulfuric acids solution is present in the stratosphere. Flights through the stratosphere may be a future source of stratospheric aerosols, since the effluent from supersonic transports contains sulfurous gases (which will be converted to H2SO4) while the exhaust from Space Shuttles contains tiny aluminum oxide particles. Global heat balance calculations have shown that the stratospheric aerosols have made important contributions to some climatic changes. In the present paper, accurate radiative transfer calculations of the globally-averaged surface temperature (T) are carried out to estimate the sensitivity of the climate to changes in the number of stratospheric aerosols. The results obtained for a specified model atmosphere, including a vertical profile of the aerosols, indicate that the climate is unlikely to be affected by supersonic transports and Space Shuttles, during the next decades.

Baldwin, B.↗

Cable-clamp installation tool

Tiny vise simplifies installation of cable clamps in confined spaces. As thumbscrew is tightened, ears of clamps are forced together, and bolt passes through all lugs and into hole in stationary jaw.

Noel, M. B.↗

Bonding aluminum beam leads

Report makes it relatively easy for hybrid-circuit manufacturers to convert integrated circuit chips with aluminum bead leads. Report covers: techniques for handling tiny chips; proper geometries for ultrasonic bonding tips; best combinations of pressure, pulse time, and ultrasonic energy for bonding; and best thickness for metal films to which beam leads are bonded.

Burkett, F. S.↗

The origin of the broad line emission from Seyfert galaxies

Mass loss from an accretion disk around a supermassive (of the order of 100 million solar masses) black hole is proposed as the origin of the broad permitted lines of Seyfert galaxies and QSOs. The material is expelled by ionizing radiation emitted near the center of the disk and striking it at a radius of approximately 10 to the 16.5 power cm. The escaping gas initially has a density of about 1 trillion per cu cm, high enough for radiation pressure to accelerate the gas to high radial velocities. The model leads to line emission from tiny dense filaments moving at about 10,000 km/s in a region roughly 10 to the 17th power cm across. This agrees with the observed broad line widths, variability time scales, and the absence of broad forbidden-line emission.

Shields, G. A.↗

Window flaw detection by backscatter lighting

Portable fiber-optic probe detects tiny flaws in transparent materials. Probe transmits light through surface to illuminate interior of material by backscattering off its edges. Light-sensitive contact paper records scratch pattern. Technique can be used for rapid visual checks. Flexible fiber optics are safely used in explosive or flammable areas; they present no hazard of breakage or contamination in controlled environments.

Crockett, L. K.↗

In vivo blood-flow mapping

Application of laser doppler techniques to commercially available, low loss fiber optics allows direct reading of blood velocity within tiny blood vessels.

Frazer, R. E.↗

Calibration standards for PIND tests

Calibrated set of microcircuit packages containing tiny particles with known masses can be used as reference standards for Particle-Impact Noise-Detection (PIND) tests.

Gaudiano, S.↗

Analysis of resistance-versus-pressure relations for the diamond indentor-anvil system

Pressures in excess of 1.4 Mbars have been attained by Ruoff and Wanagel (1977) by pressing tiny spherical diamond indentors (tip radius of 2 microns or less) against a diamond anvil. This system has been used for resistance-vs-pressure measurements as follows. A thin (200 A) coherent layer of a conductor, e.g., palladium, can be sputtered on the tip and on the anvil and electrical leads can then be attached to these at points remote from the contact area. Then a thin layer of the sample to be studied can be evaporated, sputtered, or placed on the anvil. When the indentor is pressed against the sample, the resistance changes as the pressure increases and as the contact radius increases. This paper analyzes the resistance-vs-pressure relationship for three different types of resistivity-vs-pressure behavior.

Ruoff, A. L.↗

Multipressure and Temperature Probe

Aerodynamic probe is a small cylinder tube holding a network of tiny tubes leading to various ports. Six parameters are recorded simultaneously with little interference with aerodynamic flow. Two tubes connected by a hot-wire tungsten probe sense steady and fluctuating components of total and static pressures; the feedbacks from these tubes are input into differential-pressure sensors to measure fluctuating components of the pressures. Data are recorded by instruments at the back end of the probe.

Raman, K. R.↗

Cometary particulate analyzer design definition study

A concept for remotely determining the relative abundance of elements contained in cometary particulates collected by a spacecraft was conducted with very encouraging results. The technique utilizes a short high intensity burst of laser radiation to vaporize and ionize collected particulate material. Ions extracted from this laser-produced plasma are analyzed in a time of flight mass spectrometer to yield an atomic mass spectrum representative of the relative abundance of elements in the particulates. A prototype analyzer system was designed, constructed, and tested. Results show that: (1) energy-time focus performs as predicted in improving resolution; (2) power densities sufficient to produce usable ionization efficiencies can be obtained; (3) complex alloys such as stainless steel can be analyzed; and (4) a tiny, simple and reliable laser used in the demonstration easily meets spacecraft power and mass limitations. A mass resolution of 150 was experimentally demonstrated at mass 108, and an analytical extrapolation predicts a resolution sufficient to separate masses 250 and 251.

Utterback, N. G.↗