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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

Environmental tests of metallization systems for terrestrial photovoltaic cells

Seven different solar cell metallization systems were subjected to temperature cycling tests and humidity tests. Temperature cycling excursions were -50 deg C to 150 deg C per cycle. Humidity conditions were 70 deg C at 98% relative humidity. The seven metallization systems were: Ti/Ag, Ti/Pd/Ag, Ti/Pd/Cu, Ni/Cu, Pd/Ni/Solder, Cr/Pd/Ag, and thick film Ag. All metallization systems showed a slight to moderate decrease in cell efficiencies after subjection to 1000 temperature cycles. Six of the seven metallization systems also evidenced slight increases in cell efficiencies after moderate numbers of cycles, generally less than 100 cycles. The copper based systems showed the largest decrease in cell efficiencies after temperature cycling. All metallization systems showed moderate to large decreases in cell efficiencies after 123 days of humidity exposure. The copper based systems again showed the largest decrease in cell efficiencies after humidity exposure. Graphs of the environmental exposures versus cell efficiencies are presented for each metallization system, as well as environmental exposures versus fill factors or series resistance.

Alexander, P., Jr.↗

Lift distributions for a 3-dimensional steady blade-vortex interaction

The interaction of a horizontally mounted V23010-1.58 semispan airfoil (simulating a helicopter rotor blade) with a tip vortex shed by a vertically mounted upstream vortex-generating wing (VGW) is investigated experimentally at 60 m/s (dynamic pressure 2.2 kPa, Reynolds number 850,000, and Mach number 0.17) in the NASA Ames 7 x 10-ft wind tunnel. The velocity field near the blade is determined using a three-dimensional zoom LDV; the spanwise lift distribution is measured by strain gages; and the results are compared with the predictions of the panel computer code VSAERO (Maskew, 1982) in graphs. Features noted include localized loss of lift due to the presence of residual VGW wake, loss of lift far inboard on the blade (indicating the large domain of VGW vorticity), little change in total lift with variations in vortex strength, and good agreement between VSAERO and experiment in overall lift distribution but not in all geometric variations).

Dunagan, Stephen E.↗

Heat flow experiment

The heat flow experiment conducted during the Apollo 17 flight in the Taurus-Littrow area of the moon is discussed. The concept of the experiment is based on the direct measurement of the vertical flow of heat through the regolith. The measurement is made far enough below the surface so that the time-varying heat flow resulting from the very large diurnal variations of the surface temperature is small as compared with the flow from the interior. The equipment used for the experiment is described and illustrated. Graphs are developed to present the results of heat flow and surface temperature measurements.

Langseth, M. G., Jr.↗

Performance simulation for the design of solar heating and cooling systems

Suitable approaches for evaluating the performance and the cost of a solar heating and cooling system are considered, taking into account the value of a computer simulation concerning the entire system in connection with the large number of parameters involved. Operational relations concerning the collector efficiency in the case of a new improved collector and a reference collector are presented in a graph. Total costs for solar and conventional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems as a function of time are shown in another graph.

Mccormick, P. O.↗

Geochemical studies of the White Breccia Boulders at North Ray Crater, Descartes region of the lunar highlands

The samples of the White Breccia Boulders obtained during the Apollo 16 mission and investigated in the reported study include an anorthositic breccia (67415), a dark matrix breccia (67435), a light matrix breccia (67455), and a large clast of dark matrix breccia (67475) taken from the 67455 boulder. The chemical analyses of bulk samples of the samples are listed in a table. A graph shows the lithophile trace element abundances. Another graph indicates the variation of Sm with Al2O3 content for samples from the White Breccia Boulders. The North Ray Crater breccias are found to be in general slightly more aluminous than breccias from the other stations at the Apollo 16 site. Analyses of eight Apollo 16 breccias cited in the literature range from 25% to 35% Al2O3. However, the North Ray Crater breccias are more clearly distinct from the other Apollo 16 breccias in their contents of lithophile trace elements.

Lindstrom, M. M.↗

On the generation and evolution of internal gravity waves

The tidal generation and evolution of internal gravity waves is investigated experimentally and theoretically using a two-dimensional two-layer model. Time-dependent flow is created by moving a profile of maximum submerged depth 7.7 cm through a total stroke of 29 cm in water above a freon-kerosene mixture in an 8.6-m-long 30-cm-deep 20-cm-wide transparent channel, and the deformation of the fluid interface is recorded photographically. A theoretical model of the interface as a set of discrete vortices is constructed numerically; the rigid structures are represented by a source distribution; governing equations in Lagrangian form are obtained; and two integrodifferential equations relating baroclinic vorticity generation and source-density generation are derived. The experimental and computed results are shown in photographs and graphs, respectively, and found to be in good agreement at small Froude numbers. The reasons for small discrepancies in the position of the maximum interface displacement at large Froude numbers are examined.

Lansing, F. S.↗

Erosion rates for polymers measured on LDEF

The summary and viewgraphs of work presented at the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) materials workshop are given. Experimental data for erosion depths and rates for polymers measured on LDEF are given. In general, agreement is reasonably good between erosion rates from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) LDEF experiment and prior data obtained at much lower mission fluences. Agreement is particularly satisfying in the case of Kapton where the prior data base is large. In spite of the known presence of silicaceous contamination on LDEF surfaces, the erosion rates of the highly erodible materials are hardly affected, if at all. Graphs showing changes in optical properties (reflectance and transmittance) of metal films are included.

Gregory, John C.↗

The dynamics and control of large flexible space structures-V

A general survey of the progress made in the areas of mathematical modelling of the system dynamics, structural analysis, development of control algorithms, and simulation of environmental disturbances is presented. The use of graph theory techniques is employed to examine the effects of inherent damping associated with LSST systems on the number and locations of the required control actuators. A mathematical model of the forces and moments induced on a flexible orbiting beam due to solar radiation pressure is developed and typical steady state open loop responses obtained for the case when rotations and vibrations are limited to occur within the orbit plane. A preliminary controls analysis based on a truncated (13 mode) finite element model of the 122m. Hoop/Column antenna indicates that a minimum of six appropriately placed actuators is required for controllability. An algorithm to evaluate the coefficients which describe coupling between the rigid rotational and flexible modes and also intramodal coupling was developed and numerical evaluation based on the finite element model of Hoop/Column system is currently in progress.

Bainum, P. M.↗

Sub-domain decomposition methods and computational controls for multibody dynamical systems

This paper presents a concurrent methodology to simulate the dynamics of flexible multibody systems with a large number of degrees of freedom. A general class of open-loop structures is treated and a redundant coordinate formulation is adopted. A range space method is used in which the constraint forces are calculated using a preconditioned conjugate gradient method. By using a preconditioner motivated by the regular ordering of the directed graph of the structures, it is shown that the method is order N in the total number of coordinates of the system. The overall formulation has the advantage that it permits fine parallelization and does not rely on system topology to induce concurrency. It can be efficiently implemented on the present generation of parallel computers with a large number of processors. Validation of the method is presented via numerical simulations of space structures incorporating large number of flexible degrees of freedom.

Menon, R. G.↗

Energy dependence in solar cosmic ray composition

An investigation is conducted concerning an occurrence of effects related to energy dependence in studies of solar flare particle composition, taking into account eight large solar-flares associated particle events. The ratios C/O (carbon/oxygen), (MG plus Si)/O, and Fe(group)/O as a function of energy/nucleon are presented in a graph. A wide range of variation in the Fe(group)/O ratios is found from event to event. While the energy dependence is consistent in most events with individual element spectra, several events show unusual behavior in the Fe(group)/O ratio, due to the existence of several distinct spectral components. These multiple spectral components may imply multiple phases of acceleration or substantial interplanetary shock contamination at low energies at times well below the arrival time of these shocks at 1 AU.

Mcguire, R. E.↗

Spotlight-8 Image Analysis Software

Spotlight is a cross-platform GUI-based software package designed to perform image analysis on sequences of images generated by combustion and fluid physics experiments run in a microgravity environment. Spotlight can perform analysis on a single image in an interactive mode or perform analysis on a sequence of images in an automated fashion. Image processing operations can be employed to enhance the image before various statistics and measurement operations are performed. An arbitrarily large number of objects can be analyzed simultaneously with independent areas of interest. Spotlight saves results in a text file that can be imported into other programs for graphing or further analysis. Spotlight can be run on Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Apple OS X platforms.

Klimek, Robert↗

Towards automatic Markov reliability modeling of computer architectures

The analysis and evaluation of reliability measures using time-varying Markov models is required for Processor-Memory-Switch (PMS) structures that have competing processes such as standby redundancy and repair, or renewal processes such as transient or intermittent faults. The task of generating these models is tedious and prone to human error due to the large number of states and transitions involved in any reasonable system. Therefore model formulation is a major analysis bottleneck, and model verification is a major validation problem. The general unfamiliarity of computer architects with Markov modeling techniques further increases the necessity of automating the model formulation. This paper presents an overview of the Automated Reliability Modeling (ARM) program, under development at NASA Langley Research Center. ARM will accept as input a description of the PMS interconnection graph, the behavior of the PMS components, the fault-tolerant strategies, and the operational requirements. The output of ARM will be the reliability of availability Markov model formulated for direct use by evaluation programs. The advantages of such an approach are (a) utility to a large class of users, not necessarily expert in reliability analysis, and (b) a lower probability of human error in the computation.

Liceaga, C. A.↗

The gas-grain interaction in the interstellar medium - Thermal accommodation and trapping

The paper develops a numerical model for calculating thermal accommodation coefficients alpha sub T and trapping functions f sub t for gases incident on solid surfaces. The method is especially designed for astrophysical applications in that it treats economically and with moderate accuracy (+ or - 20%) the dependences of alpha sub T and f sub t on finite and different surface and gas temperatures for a large number of gas-surface combinations. In particular, the method is applied to the astrophysical combinations of hydrogen and helium gases incident on graphite, silicon, and ice surfaces. Graphs are presented of the dependence of alpha sub T and f sub t on interstellar gas temperatures in the range of 10 to 10,000 K and grain temperatures in the range 10 to 1000 K, assuming the current estimates of the gas-surface physical parameters such as the composition and the Debye temperature of the grain material, the repulsive range of the surface potential, and the gas-grain adsorption energy.

Burke, J. R.↗

Incompressible magnetohydrodynamic surface waves - Nonlinear aspects

The nonlinear properties of MHD surface waves in the solar atmosphere are investigated analytically, assuming that the fluid is incompressible and that the waves are confined to a single surface, with semiinfinite regions on both sides. The governing equations are derived in detail, and qualitative results are presented in a graph. For propagating waves, second-order terms in the wave amplitude are found to lead to wave steepening at leading or trailing edges, the steepening rate becoming very large as the threshold for the linear Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is approached. Second-order effects on standing waves include crest and trough sharpening (increasing with time), a current independent of distance on the surface but decreasing exponentially with distance from the surface, and pressure-field fluctuations of infinite extent. It is suggested that these effects could account for a large fraction of solar-atmosphere heating.

Hollweg, Joseph V.↗

The photometric roughness of Ariel is not unusual

Voyager 2 images of the Uranian satellite Ariel are reanalyzed, with a focus on the large-scale roughness parameter theta-bar. The techniques used to reduce the data and fit the Hapke parameters are described, and the results are presented in tables and graphs. Using the whole-disk phase curve, theta-bar of 27 + or - 1 deg is obtained, somewhat higher than but in good general agreement with the values for the other Uranian satellites. The anomalously high value (42 deg) found by Helfenstein et al. (1988) is attributed to miscalibration of the clear-filter image for phase angle 144.7 deg.

Skypeck, A.↗

Multi-Parent Clustering Algorithms from Stochastic Grammar Data Models

We introduce a statistical data model and an associated optimization-based clustering algorithm which allows data vectors to belong to zero, one or several "parent" clusters. For each data vector the algorithm makes a discrete decision among these alternatives. Thus, a recursive version of this algorithm would place data clusters in a Directed Acyclic Graph rather than a tree. We test the algorithm with synthetic data generated according to the statistical data model. We also illustrate the algorithm using real data from large-scale gene expression assays.

Mjoisness, Eric↗

Instrumentation for gamma-ray astronomy

The current status of gamma-ray-telescope technology for ground, airborne, and space observations is surveyed and illustrated with drawings, diagrams, and graphs and tables of typical data. For the low- and medium-energy ranges, consideration is given to detectors and detector cooling systems, background-rejection methods, radiation damage, large-area detectors, gamma-ray imaging, data analysis, and the Compton-interaction region. Also discussed are the gamma-ray interaction process at high energies; multilevel automated spark-chamber gamma-ray telescopes; the Soviet Gamma-1 telescope; the EGRET instrument for the NASA Gamma-Ray Observatory; and Cerenkov, air-shower, and particle-detector instruments for the TeV and PeV ranges. Significant improvements in resolution and sensitivity are predicted for the near future.

Bertsch, David L.↗

A Fast Goal Recognition Technique Based on Interaction Estimates

Goal Recognition is the task of inferring an actor's goals given some or all of the actor's observed actions. There is considerable interest in Goal Recognition for use in intelligent personal assistants, smart environments, intelligent tutoring systems, and monitoring user's needs. In much of this work, the actor's observed actions are compared against a generated library of plans. Recent work by Ramirez and Geffner makes use of AI planning to determine how closely a sequence of observed actions matches plans for each possible goal. For each goal, this is done by comparing the cost of a plan for that goal with the cost of a plan for that goal that includes the observed actions. This approach yields useful rankings, but is impractical for real-time goal recognition in large domains because of the computational expense of constructing plans for each possible goal. In this paper, we introduce an approach that propagates cost and interaction information in a plan graph, and uses this information to estimate goal probabilities. We show that this approach is much faster, but still yields high quality results.

gola recognition↗