Plastics in space flight programs.
Plastics applications in Apollo-Saturn 5 program, considering foam, honeycomb, conformal coatings, embedment compounds, dielectrics, damping compounds, adhesives, sealants and gaskets
Kingsbury, J.↗
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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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Series emittance coatings
Series emittance thermal control coatings of polymeric dielectric films overlaying reflectors vacuum exposed to UV, X ray and proton radiation
Griffin, R.↗
Computer analysis of aircraft and shuttle antennas
Progress on predicting the patterns of high-frequency antennas on aircraft and shuttles is reported. Patterns are presented for an axial slot antenna on a circular cylinder partially coated with a dielectric layer. Results are shown for Omega signal disturbance by a conducting vertical pole.
Burnside, W. D.↗
Edge coating of flat wires
An apparatus and technique is described for the coating of the edge surfaces of flat ribbon conductors with an adherent coating of a dielectric insulating material. Means for passing the ribbon conductors between a pair of generally axially aligned rollers is provided. The edge surfaces of the conductor are disposed adjacent to and generally tangentially to the confronting surfaces of the roller so as to form a fillet of dielectric material along the edge surface of the conductor.
Marcell, G. V.↗
Numerical methods for analyzing electromagnetic scattering
The wave propagation inside a cylindrical waveguide, coated with lossy dielectric material due to the incidence of a plane wave at the open end of the guide, was studied. The general properties of the normal mode propagation were investigated.
Lo, Y. T.↗
Copolyimides With Flexibilizing Groups
Copolymers improved flexibility, processability and melt-flow characteristics. Copolyimide of new type exhibits synergistic improvements in flow properties due to flexibilized diamine-derived units incorported into polymer backbone. Technique produces copolyimides with combination of flexible linkage that cause polymers to exhibit flow properties particularly well suited for use in wide range of products including adhesives, molding resins, laminating resins, dielectric and protective coatings. Improved properties make copolymers especially useful as thermoplastic hot-melt adhesives.
St. Clair, Terry L.↗
Environmental interactions and the SP-100 power system
Interactions of the SP-100 power system with its expected ambient environments are defined. SP-100 payloads will float 100 V negative of the low Earth orbit (LEO) plasma. Choice of proper geometries and materials will prevent arcing at conductor-insulator junctions in LEO. Care in selecting surface coatings will prevent dielectric breakdown. Sputtering is a concern for long-duration LEO missions. Atomic oxygen durability of SP-100 materials will be tested in ground and flight tests. Evaluation of SP-100 in lunar and planetary environments has begun. The report of a recent workshop on Chemical and Electrical Interactions on Mars identified many of the primary interactions.
Ferguson, Dale C.↗
Pulse Power Capability Of High Energy Density Capacitors Based on a New Dielectric Material
A new dielectric composite consisting of a polymer coated onto a high-density metallized Kraft has been developed for application in high energy density pulse power capacitors. The polymer coating is custom formulated for high dielectric constant and strength with minimum dielectric losses. The composite can be wound and processed using conventional wound film capacitor manufacturing equipment. This new system has the potential to achieve 2 to 3 J/cu cm whole capacitor energy density at voltage levels above 3.0 kV, and can maintain its mechanical properties to temperatures above 150 C. The technical and manufacturing development of the composite material and fabrication into capacitors are summarized in this paper. Energy discharge testing, including capacitance and charge-discharge efficiency at normal and elevated temperatures, as well as DC life testing were performed on capacitors manufactured using this material. TPL (Albuquerque, NM) has developed the material and Aerovox (New Bedford, MA) has used the material to build and test actual capacitors. The results of the testing will focus on pulse power applications specifically those found in electro-magnetic armor and guns, high power microwave sources and defibrillators.
Winsor, Paul↗
ISS Charging Hazards and Low Earth Orbit Space Weather Effects
Current collection by high voltage solar arrays on the International Space Station (ISS) drives the vehicle to negative floating potentials in the low Earth orbit daytime plasma environment. Pre-flight predictions of ISS floating potentials Phi greater than |-100 V| suggested a risk for degradation of dielectric thermal control coatings on surfaces in the U.S. sector due to arcing and an electrical shock hazard to astronauts during extravehicular activity (EVA). However, hazard studies conducted by the ISS program have demonstrated that the thermal control material degradation risk is effectively mitigated during the lifetime of the ISS vehicle by a sufficiently large ion collection area present on the vehicle to balance current collection by the solar arrays. To date, crew risk during EVA has been mitigated by operating one of two plasma contactors during EVA to control the vehicle potential within Phi less than or equal to |-40 V| with a backup process requiring reorientation of the solar arrays into a configuration which places the current collection surfaces into wake. This operation minimizes current collection by the solar arrays should the plasma contactors fail. This paper presents an analysis of F-region electron density and temperature variations at low and midlatitudes generated by space weather events to determine what range of conditions represent charging threats to ISS. We first use historical ionospheric plasma measurements from spacecraft operating at altitudes relevant to the 51.6 degree inclination ISS orbit to provide an extensive database of F-region plasma conditions over a variety of solar cycle conditions. Then, the statistical results from the historical data are compared to more recent in-situ measurements from the Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU) operating on ISS in a campaign mode since its installation in August, 2006.
Minow, Joseph↗
Microwave Cavity Simulation Using Ansys HFSS
The design of microwave cavity detectors for axion dark matter research is often accomplished using advanced full-wave electromagnetic simulation software tools. These tools provide a cost-effective approach to evaluate a wide variety of cavity configurations, frequency tuning mechanisms, and conductive or dielectric materials and coatings. One simulation software package used for this application is Ansys High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS), which is based upon the well-established finite element method. HFSS includes numerous features useful for microwave cavity design such as parametric geometry modeling, adaptive meshing algorithm, curvilinear mesh elements, driven modal and eigenmode matrix solvers, and optimization algorithms. This paper describes the use of the HFSS software to simulate microwave cavities for axion haloscope detectors, with an example tutorial for a cylindrical cavity. Excellent agreement between the simulated and analytical results is shown for the resonant frequency, quality factor, and form factor.
Ansys HFSS, Cavity simulation, finite element mode↗
Lateral Beam Shifts and Depolarization Upon Oblique Reflection from Dielectric Mirrors
Abstract Dielectric mirrors comprising thin‐film multilayers are widely used in optical experiments because they can achieve substantially higher reflectance compared to metal mirrors. Here, potential problems are investigated that can arise when dielectric mirrors are used at oblique incidence, in particular for focused beams. It is found that light beams reflected from dielectric mirrors can experience lateral beam shifts, beam‐shape distortion, and depolarization, and these effects have a strong dependence on wavelength, incident angle, and incident polarization. Because vendors of dielectric mirrors typically do not share the particular layer structure of their products, several dielectric‐mirror stacks are designed and simulated, and then the lateral beam shift from two commercial dielectric mirrors and one coated metal mirror is also measured. This paper brings awareness of the tradeoffs between dielectric mirrors and front‐surface metal mirrors in certain optics experiments, and it is suggested that vendors of dielectric mirrors provide information about beam shifts, distortion, and depolarization when their products are used at oblique incidence.
Physics↗
Development of a broadband reflective phase retarder to generate circularly polarized light for MTW-OPAL and multipetawatt lasers
Here, our research focuses on designing metallic coatings to create broadband all-reflective phase retarders that generate circularly polarized (CP) light for the MTW-OPAL Laser System while ensuring the desired polarization state on the target. This all-reflective phase retarder can function as a phase retarder when used in an out-of-plane configuration, whereas it acts as a normal mirror set in an in-plane configuration. If the polarization of the beam is not purely s- or p-polarized, however, mirrors will in general introduce retardance, and therefore compensators or polarization-independent mirror pairs are needed to ensure the desired polarization at the target plane.
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
Broadband, millimeter-wave antireflection coatings for large-format, cryogenic aluminum oxide optics
Here, we present two prescriptions for broadband (~77 -252 GHz), millimeter-wave antireflection coatings for cryogenic, sintered polycrystalline aluminum oxide optics: one for large-format (700 mm diameter) planar and plano–convex elements, the other for densely packed arrays of quasi-optical elements—in our case, 5 mm diameter half-spheres (called “lenslets”). The coatings comprise three layers of commercially available, polytetrafluoroethylene-based, dielectric sheet material. The lenslet coating is molded to fit the 150 mm diameter arrays directly, while the large-diameter lenses are coated using a tiled approach. We review the fabrication processes for both prescriptions, then discuss laboratory measurements of their transmittance and reflectance. In addition, we present the inferred refractive indices and loss tangents for the coating materials and the aluminum oxide substrate. We find that at 150 GHz and 300 K the large-format coating sample achieves (97±2)% transmittance, and the lenslet coating sample achieves (94±3)% transmittance.
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
Tailoring Thin Film-Lacquer Coatings for Space Applications
Thin film coatings have the capability of obtaining a wide range of thermal radiative properties, but the development of thin film coatings can sometimes be difficult and costly when trying to achieve highly specular surfaces. Given any space mission's then-nal control requirements, there is often a need for a variation of solar absorptance (alpha(sub s)), emittance (epsilon) and/or highly specular surfaces. The utilization of thin film coatings is one process of choice for meeting challenging thermal control requirements because of its ability to provide a wide variety of alpha(sub s)/epsilon ratios. Thin film coatings' radiative properties can be tailored to meet specific thermal control requirements through the use of different metals and the variation of dielectric layer thickness. Surface coatings can be spectrally selective to enhance radiative coupling and decoupling. The application of lacquer to a surface can also provide suitable specularity for thin film application without the cost and difficulty associated with polishing.
Peters, Wanda C.↗
Tailoring Thin Film-Lacquer Coatings for Space Application
Thin film coatings have the capability of obtaining a wide range of thermal radiative properties, but the development of thin film coatings can sometimes be difficult and costly when trying to achieve highly specular surfaces. Given any space mission's thermal control requirements, there is often a need for a variation of solar absorptance (Alpha(s)), emittance (epsilon) and/or highly specular surfaces. The utilization of thin film coatings is one process of choice for meeting challenging thermal control requirements because of its ability to provide a wide variety of Alpha(s)/epsilon ratios. Thin film coatings' radiative properties can be tailored to meet specific thermal control requirements through the use of different metals and the variation of dielectric layer thickness. Surface coatings can be spectrally selective to enhance radiative coupling and decoupling. The application of lacquer to a surface can also provide suitable specularity for thin film application without the cost and difficulty associated with polishing.
Peters, Wanda C.↗
Properties of conductive coatings for thermal control mirrors and solar cell covers
Conductive transparent coatings applied to the dielectric surfaces of a spacecraft offer the possibility of distributing charge uniformly over the entire spacecraft surface. Optical and electrical measurements of such a coating as a function of temperature are described. These results are used in considering the impact of a conductive coating on the absorptance of thermal control mirrors and on the transmittance of solar cell cover glass, which can be improved by the application of an antireflection coating.
Joslin, D. E.↗
Directionally reflective coating study.
Directional reflective coating consisting of cylindrical dielectric fibers oriented perpendicular to absorbing substrate
REFLECTION COEFFICIENT↗
Recent advances in spacecraft thermal-control materials research.
The state-of-the-art of spacecraft thermal-control materials technology has been significantly advanced during the past 4 years. Selective black coatings are discussed together with black paints, dielectric films on metal surfaces, and white radiator coatings. Criteria for the selection of thermal-control surfaces are considered, giving attention to prelaunch protection, the capability of being measured, reproducibility, simulator response, and aspects of a nonindigenous space environment. Progress in space simulation is related to vacuum technology, ultraviolet sources, solar wind simulation, and the production of protons. Advances have been made in the protection against space environmental effects, and in the development of thermal-control surfaces and pigments.
Zerlaut, G. A.↗