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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

Spaceborne Applications of P-Band Imaging Radars for Measuring Forest Biomass

In three test sites of boreal and temperate forests, P-band polarimetric radar data estimate total above-ground dry woody biomass with 10 to 30 of the actual biomass values, depending on the complexity of the forest. A description and examples of the process are provided. The worldwide need for large scale, updated biomass estimates, achieved with a uniformly applied method, justifies a more in-depth exploration of long wavelength imaging radar applications for tropical forest inventories.

Oren, Ram↗

Permanent, Transparent Anti-Fog Coating for Spacesuit Helmet

Fogging of polycarbonate spacesuit helmets is detrimental to astronaut safety and to mission success. Currently used anti-fogging methods are temporary and require the reapplication of a coating before each use. These temporary solutions have been shown to delaminate during use and have led to eye irritation and temporary blindness during spacewalks. Potential permanent solutions NASA has previously tested lack in durability and are prone to coating damage and delamination during cleaning. Lynntech is leveraging its experience with coating development to fabricate an anti-fog coating with the durability necessary for permanent use, to be applied to polycarbonate. In this SBIR Phase I project, Lynntech has demonstrated the proof of concept by applying our coating to flat polycarbonate and characterized the durability of its anti-fogging properties. Toward this end, Lynntech has developed a breath simulating testbed, exposing coatings to conditions they would experience on the interior of a spacesuit helmet during use. Additionally, Lynntech is developing an application method to uniformly deposit their coating on non-planar objects, such as a prototype spacesuit helmet.

spacesuit↗

Electrochemical Oxidation of Metal–Catechol Complexes as a New Synthesis Route to the High-Quality Ternary Photoelectrodes: A Case Study of Fe 2 TiO 5 Photoanodes

A new electrochemical, solution-based synthesis method to prepare uniform multinary oxide photoelectrodes was developed. This method involves solubilizing multiple metal ions as metal-catechol complexes in a pH condition where they are otherwise insoluble. When some of the catechol ligands are electrochemically oxidized, the remaining metal complexes become insoluble and are deposited as metal-catechol films on the working electrode. The resulting films are then annealed to form crystalline multinary oxide electrodes. Since catechol can serve as a complexing agent for a variety of metal ions, the newly developed method can be used to prepare a variety of multinary oxide films. In the present study, we used this method to prepare n-type Fe 2 TiO 5 photoanodes and investigated their photoelectrochemical properties for use in a photoelectrochemical water splitting cell. We also performed a computational investigation with two goals. The first goal was to investigate small electron polaron formation in Fe 2 TiO 5 . Charge transport in most oxide photoelectrodes involves small polaron hopping, but small polaron formation in Fe 2 TiO 5 has not been examined prior to this work. The second goal was to investigate the effect of substitutional Sn doping at the Fe site on the electronic band structure and the carrier concentration of Fe 2 TiO 5 . Here, the combined experimental and theoretical results presented in this study greatly improve our understanding of Fe 2 TiO 5 for use as a photoanode.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

A wave-envelope technique for wave propagation in non-uniform ducts

The method of variation of parameters is used to analyze wave propagation in variable area, plane ducts with no mean flow. The method has an explicit representation of the fast axial variation of the acoustic modes, and numerical integration is required only for the slower axial variations of the mode amplitudes and phases. Results are presented which demonstrate the numerical advantages of the method. Comparison of the results with those of a small perturbation theory are given. The relationship between this method and the method of weighted residuals is discussed.

Kaiser, J. E.↗

Intensity analysis of XPS spectra to determine oxide uniformity - Application to SiO2/Si interfaces

A simple method of determining oxide uniformity is derived which requires no knowlege of film thickness, escape depth, or film composition. The method involves only the measurement of oxide and substrate intensities and is illustrated by analysis of XPS spectral data for thin SiO2 films grown both thermally and by low-temperature chemical vapor deposition on monocrystalline Si. A region 20-30 A thick is found near the SiO2/Si interface on thermally oxidized samples which has an inelastic mean free path 35% less than that found in the bulk oxide. This is interpreted as being due to lattice mismatch resulting in a strained region which is structurally, but not stoichiometrically, distinct from the bulk oxide.

Vasquez, R. P.↗

Uniform random number generators

Methods are presented for the generation of random numbers with uniform and normal distributions. Subprogram listings of Fortran generators for the Univac 1108, SDS 930, and CDC 3200 digital computers are also included. The generators are of the mixed multiplicative type, and the mathematical method employed is that of Marsaglia and Bray.

Farr, W. R.↗

Materials characterization of propellants using ultrasonics

Propellant characteristics for solid rocket motors were not completely determined for its use as a processing variable in today's production facilities. A major effort to determine propellant characteristics obtainable through ultrasonic measurement techniques was performed in this task. The information obtained was then used to determine the uniformity of manufacturing methods and/or the ability to determine non-uniformity in processes.

Workman, Gary L.↗

Electroformed screens with uniform hole size

Efficient method electroforms fine-mesh nickel screens, or plagues, with uniform hole size and accurate spacing between holes. An electroformed nickel mandrel has nonconducting silicone rubber projections that duplicate the desired hole size and shape in the finished nickel screen.

Schaer, G. R.↗

Method and apparatus for scheduling in a non-uniform compute device

A data processing apparatus, and method of operation thereof, for executing instructions. The apparatus includes one or more host processors, each having a first processing unit, and a multi-level memory system. One or more levels of the memory system are tightly coupled to a corresponding second processing unit. At least one of the host processors includes an instruction scheduler that routes instructions selectively to at least one of the first and second processing units, dependent upon the availability of the processing units and the location, within the memory system, of data to be used when executing the instructions.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Modal element method for potential flow in non-uniform ducts: Combining closed form analysis with CFD

An analytical procedure is presented, called the modal element method, that combines numerical grid based algorithms with eigenfunction expansions developed by separation of variables. A modal element method is presented for solving potential flow in a channel with two-dimensional cylindrical like obstacles. The infinite computational region is divided into three subdomains; the bounded finite element domain, which is characterized by the cylindrical obstacle and the surrounding unbounded uniform channel entrance and exit domains. The velocity potential is represented approximately in the grid based domain by a finite element solution and is represented analytically by an eigenfunction expansion in the uniform semi-infinite entrance and exit domains. The calculated flow fields are in excellent agreement with exact analytical solutions. By eliminating the grid surrounding the obstacle, the modal element method reduces the numerical grid size, employs a more precise far field boundary condition, as well as giving theoretical insight to the interaction of the obstacle with the mean flow. Although the analysis focuses on a specific geometry, the formulation is general and can be applied to a variety of problems as seen by a comparison to companion theories in aeroacoustics and electromagnetics.

Baumeister, Kenneth J.↗

The effect of cell design and test criteria on the series/parallel performance of nickel cadmium cells and batteries

Three batteries were operated in parallel from a common bus during charge and discharge. SMM utilized NASA Standard 20AH cells and batteries, and LANDSAT-D NASA 50AH cells and batteries of a similar design. Each battery consisted of 22 series connected cells providing the nominal 28V bus. The three batteries were charged in parallel using the voltage limit/current taper mode wherein the voltage limit was temperature compensated. Discharge occurred on the demand of the spacecraft instruments and electronics. Both flights were planned for three to five year missions. The series/parallel configuration of cells and batteries for the 3-5 yr mission required a well controlled product with built-in reliability and uniformity. Examples of how component, cell and battery selection methods affect the uniformity of the series/parallel operation of the batteries both in testing and in flight are given.

Halpert, G.↗

Characterization of Electronic Materials HgZnSe and HgZnTe Using Innovative and Conventional Techniques

HgZnSe and HgZnTe are electronic materials of interest for potential IR detector and focal plane array applications due to their improved strength and compositional stability over HgCdTe, but they are difficult to grow on Earth and to fully characterize. Conventional contact methods of characterization, such as Hall and van der Paw, although adequate for many situations are typically labor intensive and not entirely suitable where only very small samples are available. To adequately characterize and compare properties of electronic materials grown in low earth orbit with those grown on Earth, innovative techniques are needed that complement existing methods. This paper describes the implementation and test results of a unique non-contact method of characterizing uniformity, mobility, and carrier concentration together with results from conventional methods applied to HgZnSe and HgZnTe. The innovative method has advantages over conventional contact methods since it circumvents problems of possible contamination from alloying electrical contacts to a sample and also has the capability to map a sample. Non- destructive mapping, the determination of the carrier concentration and mobility at each place on a sample, provides a means to quantitatively compare, at high spatial resolution, effects of microgravity on electronic properties and uniformity of electronic materials grown in low-Earth orbit with Earth grown materials. The mapping technique described here uses a 1mm diameter polarized beam of radiation to probe the sample. Activation of a magnetic field, in which the sample is placed, causes the plane of polarization of the probe beam to rotate. This Faraday rotation is a function of the free carrier concentration and the band parameters of the material. Maps of carrier concentration, mobility, and transmission generated from measurements of the Faraday rotation angles over the temperature range from 300K to 77K will be presented. New information on band parameters, obtained by combining results from conventional Hall measurements of the free carrier concentration with Faraday rotation measurements, will also be presented. One example of how this type of information was derived is illustrated in the following figure which shows Faraday rotation vs wavelength modeled for Hg(l-x)ZnxSe at a temperature of 300K and x=0.07. The plasma contribution, total Faraday rotation, and interband contribution to the Faraday rotation, are designated in the Figure as del(p), FR tot, and del(i) respectively. Experimentally measured values of FR tot, each indicated by + , agree acceptably well with the model at the probe wavelength of 10.6 microns. The model shows that at the probe wavelength, practically all the rotation is due to the plasma component, which can be expressed as delta(sub p)= 2pi(e(sup 3))NBL/c(sup 2)nm*(sup 2) omega(sup 2). In this equation, delta(sub p) is the rotation angle due to the free carrier plasma, N is the free carrier concentration, B the magnetic field strength, L the thickness of the sample, n the index of refraction, omega the probe radiation frequency, c the speed of light, e the electron charge, and m* the effective mass. A measurement of N by conventional techniques, combined with a measurement of the Faraday rotation angle allows m* to be accurately determined since it is an inverse square function.

Tanton, George↗

Method for controlling fiber growth in a laser heated pedestal growth system by controlling a laser power output, a pedestal feedstock rate of motion, and a draw rate

One or more embodiments relate to a method for controlling fiber growth and fiber diameter in a laser heated pedestal growth (LHPG) system so as to provide long, continuous single-crystal optical fibers of uniform diameter. The method generally provides three independent parameter feedback controls to control the molten zone height, laser power, and fiber drawing rates simultaneously in order to reduce the mismatch between instantaneous diameter changes and current diameter. The method permits the growth of fibers with non-uniform diameters along the fiber's length. The method also provides the capability to stop the LHPG system, remove the exhausted pedestal feedstock with a second pedestal feedstock, and restart the LHPG system to provide a continuous fiber.

Buric, Michael P.↗

Stability of structural rings under uniformly distributed radial loads

Energy method analysis establishes parameters governing stability of circular rings acted upon by constant, uniformly distributed loads. Energy method is used so that nonlinear behavior of structure before buckling can be accounted for. Method affords conceptually superior basis for analyzing the axisymmetric deviation mode.

Williams, H. E.↗

Shape optimization using a NURBS-based interface-enriched generalized FEM

This study presents a gradient-based shape optimization over a fixed mesh using a non-uniform rational B-splines-based interface-enriched generalized finite element method, applicable to multi-material structures. In the proposed method, non-uniform rational B-splines are used to parameterize the design geometry precisely and compactly by a small number of design variables. An analytical shape sensitivity analysis is developed to compute derivatives of the objective and constraint functions with respect to the design variables. Subtle but important new terms involve the sensitivity of shape functions and their spatial derivatives. As a result, verification and illustrative problems are solved to demonstrate the precision and capability of the method.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Acoustic transmission in non-uniform ducts with mean flow. I - The method of weighted residuals. II - The finite element method

The problem of acoustic transmission through nonuniform ducts containing a high-speed subsonic flow is studied by means of the method of weighted residuals in the form of a modified Galerkin method and a Galerkin formulation of the finite element method. The method of weighted residuals is shown to employ the basis functions generated from eigenvalue calculations for the case of no flow, and is verified by comparison with exact eigenvalue calculations in the uniform duct case and numerical solutions of the one-dimensional form of the equations in the nonuniform duct case. The finite element scheme based on both the Galerkin method and the residual least squares method and employing eight-noded isoparametric elements is presented and used to investigate multimodal propagation by the coupling of the solution in the duct nonuniform section to modal expansions in uniform sections. Comparison of the results of the two methods reveals them to be in substantial agreement, and predicts the importance of multimodal interactions at high Mach numbers.

Eversman, W.↗

EC-Bench: A Benchmark for Enzyme Commission Number Prediction

Enzymes are proteins that catalyze specific biochemical reactions in cells. Enzyme Commission (EC) numbers are used to annotate enzymes in a four-level hierarchy that classifies enzymes based on the specific chemical reactions they catalyze. Accurate EC number prediction is essential for understanding enzyme functions. Despite the availability of numerous methods for predicting EC numbers from protein sequences, there is no unified framework for evaluating and studying such methods systematically. This gap limits the ability of the community to identify the most effective approaches for enzyme annotation. We introduce EC-Bench, a benchmark for EC number prediction, consisting of 1) an initial representative set of existing methods (including homology-based, deep learning, contrastive learning, and language model methods), 2) existing and novel accuracy and efficiency performance metrics, and 3) selected datasets to allow for comprehensive comparative study. EC-Bench is open-source and provides a framework for researchers to not only compare among existing methods objectively under uniform conditions, but also to introduce and effectively evaluate performance of new methods in a comparative framework. To demonstrate the utility of EC-Bench, we perform extensive experimentation to compare the existing EC number prediction methods and establish their advantages and disadvantages in a variety of prediction tasks, namely “exact EC number prediction”, “EC number completion” and (partial or additional) “EC number recommendation”. We find wide variation in the performance of different methods, but also subtle but potentially useful differences in the performance of different methods across tasks and for different parts of the EC hierarchy.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗