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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

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NASA NTRS1982

Heating and cooling system

A heating and cooling apparatus capable of cyclic heating and cooling of a test specimen undergoing fatigue testing is discussed. Cryogenic fluid is passed through a block clamped to the speciment to cool the block and the specimen. Heating cartridges penetrate the block to heat the block and the specimen to very hot temperaures. Control apparatus is provided to alternatively activate the cooling and heating modes to effect cyclic heating and cooling between very hot and very cold temperatures. The block is constructed of minimal mass to facilitate the rapid temperature changes.

Imig, L. A.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Microwave hydrology: A trilogy

Microwave hydrology, as the term in construed in this trilogy, deals with the investigation of important hydrological features on the Earth's surface as they are remotely, and passively, sensed by orbiting microwave receivers. Microwave wavelengths penetrate clouds, foliage, ground cover, and soil, in varying degrees, and reveal the occurrence of standing liquid water on and beneath the surface. The manifestation of liquid water appearing on or near the surface is reported by a microwave receiver as a signal with a low flux level, or, equivalently, a cold temperature. Actually, the surface of the liquid water reflects the low flux level from the cosmic background into the input terminals of the receiver. This trilogy describes and shows by microwave flux images: the hydrological features that sustain Lake Baykal as an extraordinary freshwater resource; manifestations of subsurface water in Iran; and the major water features of the Congo Basin, a rain forest.

Stacey, J. M.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Solar maximum mission post flight performance analyses of standard reaction wheels S/N's 102, 103, 104 and 105

On 24 January 1985, the four Solar Maximum Mission Reaction Wheels, S/N 102 through 105 were returned to Sperry for postflight analysis. The analysis consisted of visual examination; preliminary electrical checks; performance testing at ambient, hot, and cold temperature environments; and internal pressure measurements. Based on the performance test results and past utilization in space, one reaction wheel was selected for teardown to study lubricant distribution, bearing and reservoir lube loss, bearing raceway condition, and visual examination of conformal coating, soldering, and other internal features.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1986

Sampling the cometary nucleus

Three modes for obtaining samples of cometary material: remote sampling, hover mode sampling, and landed (anchored) sampling are discussed. For each mode, trade-offs involving complexity, risk factors, and cost must be analyzed for the spacecraft and the sampling system. Flyby results for comet Halley indicate heterogeneity in the cometary nucleus that could dictate sampling at several different locations. Coring drills, drive tubes, and specialized mantle sampling devices must operate at cold temperatures (100 to 180 K) without heating the sample. Sample selections must be accomodated by the sample return canister, which must also be protected from thermal excursions.

Clark, B. C.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Springtime surface ozone fluctuations at high Arctic latitudes and their possible relationship to atmospheric bromine

At high Arctic stations such as Barrow, Alaska, springtime near-surface ozone amounts fluctuate between the highest and lowest values seen during the course of the year. Episodes when the surface ozone concentration is essentially zero last up to several days during this time of year. In the Arctic Gas and Aerosol Sampling Program (AGASP-I and AGASP-II) in 1983 and 1986, it was found that ozone concentrations often showed a very steep gradient in altitude with very low values near the surface. The cold temperatures, and snow-covered ground make it unlikely that the surface itself would rapidly destroy significant amounts of ozone. The AGASP aircraft measurements that found low ozone concentrations in the lowest layers of the troposphere also found that filterable excess bromine (the amount of bromine in excess of the sea salt component) in samples collected wholly or partially beneath the temperature inversion had higher bromine concentrations than other tropospheric samples. Of the four lowest ozone minimum concentrations, three of them were associated with the highest bromine enrichments. Surface measurements of excess filterable bromine at Barrow show a strong seasonal dependence with values rising dramatically early in March, then declining in May. The concentration of organic bromine gases such as bromoform rise sharply during the winter and then begin to decline after March with winter and early spring values at least three times greater than the summer minimum.

Oltmans, Samuel J.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Wind tunnel pressurization and recovery system

The high density, low toxicity characteristics of refrigerant-12 (dichlorofluoromethane) make it an ideal gas for wind tunnel testing. Present limitations on R-12 emissions, set to slow the rate of ozone deterioration, pose a difficult problem in recovery and handling of large quantities of R-12. This preliminary design is a possible solution to the problem of R-12 handling in wind tunnel testing. The design incorporates cold temperature condensation with secondary purification of the R-12/air mixture by adsorption. Also discussed is the use of Freon-22 as a suitable refrigerant for the 12 foot wind tunnel.

Pejack, Edwin R.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Cirrus radiative characteristics and the radiative impact of small particles

An understanding of the way radiation interacts with clouds is vital for understanding the sensitivity of the earth's climate to both natural and anthropogenic changes in the atmosphere. Cirrus clouds are thought to be an important modulator of climate sensitivity. The feedback effect of cirrus on climate can be positive or negative depending upon the microphysics and scattering properties of the cloud. These properties of cirrus clouds are not well understood partly because of their thin tenuous nature and partly because of their microphysical properties. The high altitude and cold temperatures within these clouds along with their transparency greatly increase the difficulty in which accurate measurements can be obtained and interpreted both by aircraft and remote sensing. Therefore, the understanding of the interaction of radiation in cirrus clouds is crucial to determining the ways in which these clouds interact with climate forcings. The sensitivity of the radiative budgets of cirrus cloudiness to their microphysical composition and the environments in which they occur is examined. Especially important is the impact of small particles on the radiative properties of cirrus. Remote sensing estimates of the effective crystal size of cirrus and in situ measurements show large differences up to 100 microns. Thus it becomes important to identify the sources of these differences. For this reason, simulations of actual FIRE cases are compared with the in situ radiative observations and inferences are made concerning the cause of the discrepancies.

Stackhouse, Paul W., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1990

SAGE II observations of polar stratospheric clouds near 50 deg N January 31 - February 2, 1989

Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) form at very cold temperatures which typically occur only at high latitudes during local winter. However, meteorological circumstances in the Arctic during late January 1989 led to PSC formation unusually far to the south, at latitudes (near 50 deg N) being sampled during the period by the orbiting SAGE II instrument. These unusual PSC sightings and the evolution of meteorological conditions which produced the episode are described. Profiles of SAGE II extinction measurements at 0.525 and 1.02 microns show clear signatures of PSCs and indicate that the cloud particles were considerably larger than the background aerosol. It is most important to note that the clouds were sighted at a latitude where there was extensive sunlight, thus increasing the likelihood of ozone loss both locally and downstream due to enhancements in reactive chlorine expected from heterogeneous chemical processing within the PSCs.

Pitts, M. C.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Ignitability test method. II

To determine functional performance of initiating devices, the NASA's Langley Research Center's novel ignitability research on percussion primers has been expanded in 1989 to include measurements of function time, the evaluation of six primer lots (five types), and the determination of the effects of the military cold-temperature requirement of -65 F and primer output closure disks. This test method, a major improvement over the prior primer output test methods, fully met all objectives, while showing a significant amount of ignition variability.

Bement, Laurence J.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Aircraft deployment, and airborne arctic stratospheric expedition

The Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition had two primary objectives: to study the production and loss mechanisms of ozone in the north polar stratosphere and to study the effect on ozone distribution of the Arctic Polar Vortex and of the cold temperatures associated with the formation of Polar Stratospheric Clouds. Two specially instrumented NASA aircraft were flown over the Arctic region. Each aircraft flew to acquire data on the meteorological, chemical and cloud physical phenomena that occur in the polar stratosphere during winter. The chemical processes which occur in the polar stratosphere during winter were also observed and studied. The data acquired are being analyzed.

Condon, Estelle↗

NASA NTRS1989

Observations and theories related to Antarctic ozone changes

In 1985, there was a report of a large, sudden, and unanticipated decrease in the abundance of springtime Antarctic ozone over the last decade. By 1987, ozone decreases of more than 50 percent in the total column, and 95 percent locally between 15 and 20 km, had been observed. The scientific community quickly rose to the challenge of explaining this remarkable discovery; theoreticians soon developed a series of chemical and dynamical hypotheses to explain the ozone loss. Three basic theories were proposed to explain the springtime ozone hole. (1) The ozone hole is caused by the increasing atmospheric loadings of manmade chemicals containing chlorine (chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) and bromine (halons)). These chemicals efficiently destroy ozone in the lower stratosphere in the Antarctic because of the special geophysical conditions, of an isolated air mass (polar vortex) with very cold temperatures, that exist there. (2) The circulation of the atmosphere in spring has changed from being predominantly downward over Antarctica to upward. This would mean that ozone poor air from the troposphere, instead of ozone rich air from the upper stratosphere, would be transported into the lower Antarctic stratosphere. (3) The abundance of the oxides of nitrogen in the lower Antarctic stratosphere is periodically enhanced by solar activity. Nitrogen oxides are produced in the upper mesosphere and thermosphere and then transported downward into the lower stratosphere in Antarctica, resulting in the chemical destruction of ozone. The climatology and trends of ozone, temperature, and polar stratospheric clouds are discussed. Also, the transport and chemical theories for the Antarctic ozone hole are presented.

Hartmann, D.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Ideal orifice pulse tube refrigerator performance

The recent development of orifice pulse tube refrigerators has raised questions as to what limits their ultimate performance. Using an analogy to the Stirling cycle refrigerator, the efficiency (cooling power per unit input power) of an ideal orifice pulse tube refrigerator is shown to be T1/T0, the ratio of the cold temperature to the hot temperature.

Kittel, P.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Proposed system safety design and test requirements for the microlaser ordnance system

Safety for pyrotechnic ignition systems is becoming a major concern for the military. In the past twenty years, stray electromagnetic fields have steadily increased during peacetime training missions and have dramatically increased during battlefield missions. Almost all of the ordnance systems in use today depend on an electrical bridgewire for ignition. Unfortunately, the bridgewire is the cause of the majority of failure modes. The common failure modes include the following: broken bridgewires; transient RF power, which induces bridgewire heating; and cold temperatures, which contracts the explosive mix away from the bridgewire. Finding solutions for these failure modes is driving the costs of pyrotechnic systems up. For example, analyses are performed to verify that the system in the environment will not see more energy than 20 dB below the 'No-fire' level. Range surveys are performed to determine the operational, storage, and transportation RF environments. Cryogenic tests are performed to verify the bridgewire to mix interface. System requirements call for 'last minute installation,' 'continuity checks after installation,' and rotating safety devices to 'interrupt the explosive train.' As an alternative, MDESC has developed a new approach based upon our enabling laser diode technology. We believe that Microlaser initiated ordnance offers a unique solution to the bridgewire safety concerns. For this presentation, we will address, from a system safety viewpoint, the safety design and the test requirements for a Microlaser ordnance system. We will also review how this system could be compliant to MIL-STD-1576 and DOD-83578A and the additional necessary requirements.

Stoltz, Barb A.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Evaluation of Equilibrium Turbulence for a Hypersonic Boundary Layer at Nonadiabatic Wall Conditions

This paper presents an experimental study to characterize the naturally developing compressible turbulent boundary layer produced along a flat plate measuring 9.7 feet long in the NASA Langley 8-Foot High Temperature Tunnel and to determine the test conditions necessary to achieve equilibrium turbulence. The measurements consist of pitot pressure, static pressure, and total temperature distributions in the boundary layer. In addition, surface measurements consisting of heat transfer and pressure distributions were obtained. The tests were conducted at a nominal free-stream Mach number of 6.5, total temperatures of 2700 and 3300 R, and angles of attack of 5 and 13 degrees. The corresponding nominal boundary-layer edge Mach numbers were 6.2 and 5.0. The nominal ratios of adiabatic wall temperature to cold wall temperature were 4.4 and 5.4 and the momentum thickness Reynolds numbers at the boundary layer probe locations ranged from 400 to 7800. The results of this study indicate that momentum thickness Reynolds numbers of at least 4000 are required to obtain an equilibrium turbulent boundary layer in the Langley 8-Foot High Temperature Tunnel. This evaluation is based primarily on the behavior of shape factors inferred from the boundary-layer measurements.

Albertson, Cindy W.↗

NASA NTRS1993

A comparison of small and larger mesoscale latent heat and radiative fluxes: December 6 case study

Because of the small amounts of water vapor, the potential for rapid changes, and the very cold temperatures in the upper troposphere, moisture measuring instruments face several problems related to calibration and response. Calculations of eddy moisture fluxes are, therefore, subject to significant uncertainty. The purpose of this study is to examine the importance of latent heat (moisture) fluxes due to small and larger mesoscale circulations in comparison to radiative fluxes within cirrus. Scale separation is made at about 1 km because of significant changes in the structures within cirrus. Only observations at warmer than -40 C are used in this study. The EG&G hygrometer that is used for measuring dewpoint temperature (Td) is believed to be fairly accurate down to -40 C. On the other hand, Lyman-Alpha (L-alpha) hygrometer measurements of moisture may include large drift errors. In order to compensate for these drift errors, the L-alpha hygrometer is often calibrated against the EG&G hygrometer. However, large errors ensue for Td measurements at temperatures less than -40 C. The cryogenic hygrometer frost point measurements may be used to calibrate L-alpha measurements at temperatures less than -40 C. In this study, however, measurements obtained by EG&G hygrometer and L-alpha measurements are used for the flux calculations.

Gultepe, I.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Impact of the CO2 and H2O clouds of the Martian polar hood on the polar energy balance

Clouds covering extensive areas above the martian polar caps have regularly been observed during the fall and winter seasons of each hemisphere. These 'polar hoods' are thought to be made of H2O and CO2. In particular, the very cold temperatures observed during the polar night by Viking and Mariner 9 around both poles have been identified as CO2 clouds and several models, including GCM, have indicated that the CO2 can condense in the atmosphere at all polar latitudes. Estimating the impact of the polar hood clouds on the energy balance of the polar regions is necessary to model the CO2 cycle and address puzzling problems like the polar caps assymetry. For example, by altering the thermal radiation emitted to space, CO2 clouds alter the amount of CO2 that condenses during the fall and winter season. The complete set of Viking IRTM data was analyzed to define the spatial and temporal properties of the polar hoods, and how their presence affects the energy radiated by the atmosphere/caps system to space was estimated. The IRTM observations provide good spatial and temporal converage of both polar regions during fall, winter, and spring, when a combination of the first and the second Viking year is used. Only the IRTM brightness temperatures at 11, 15, and 20 microns are reliable at martian polar temperatures. To recover the integrated thermal fluxes from the IRTM data, a simple model of the polar hood, thought to consist of 'warm' H2O clouds lying above colder and opaque CO2 clouds was developed. Such a model is based on the analysis of the IRIS spectra, and is consistent with the IRTM data used.

Forget, Francois↗

NASA NTRS1992

Periglacial and glacial analogs for Martian landforms

The list of useful terrestrial analogs for Martian landforms has been expanded to include: features developed by desiccation processes; catastrophic flood features associated with boulder-sized materials; and sorted ground developed at a density boundary. Quantitative analytical techniques developed for physical geography have been adapted and applied to planetary studies, including: quantification of the patterns of polygonally fractured ground to describe pattern randomness independent of pattern size, with possible correlation to the mechanism of origin and quantification of the relative area of a geomorphic feature or region in comparison to planetary scale. Information about Martian geomorphology studied in this project was presented at professional meetings world-wide, at seven colleges and universities, in two interactive televised courses, and as part of two books. Overall, this project has expanded the understanding of the range of terrestrial analogs for Martian landforms, including identifying several new analogs. The processes that created these terrestrial features are characterized by both cold temperatures and low humidity, and therefore both freeze-thaw and desiccation processes are important. All these results support the conclusion that water has played a significant role in the geomorphic history of Mars.

Rossbacher, Lisa A.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Preliminary control system design and analysis for the Space Station Furnace Facility thermal control system

This report presents the Space Station Furnace Facility (SSFF) thermal control system (TCS) preliminary control system design and analysis. The SSFF provides the necessary core systems to operate various materials processing furnaces. The TCS is defined as one of the core systems, and its function is to collect excess heat from furnaces and to provide precise cold temperature control of components and of certain furnace zones. Physical interconnection of parallel thermal control subsystems through a common pump implies the description of the TCS by coupled nonlinear differential equations in pressure and flow. This report formulates the system equations and develops the controllers that cause the interconnected subsystems to satisfy flow rate tracking requirements. Extensive digital simulation results are presented to show the flow rate tracking performance.

Jackson, M. E.↗