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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 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

Latching Solenoid-Operated Ball Valve

Proposed solenoid-operated ball valve latches in open or closed position until energized to change position. Electrical energy consumed only during opening or closing motion. Valve ball contains central channel through which fluid could flow. Made of highly magnetically permeable steel. When appropriate coil(s) energized by brief pulse (or pulses) of electrical current at appropriate polarity, ball rotates clockwise until permanent magnets come to rest against hard stops in housing, and inlet and outlet ports aligned with central channel so fluid flows through valve. Magnets adhere to stops by magnetic attraction, latching valve in open position. To close valve, appropriate coil(s) energized by pulse (or pulses) of appropriate polarity to generate magnetic forces rotating ball counterclockwise until magnets make contact with hard stops, and inlet and outlet ports sealed.

Brudnicki, Myron↗
NASA NTRS1980

The Ultraviolet Spectrometer and Polarimeter on the Solar Maximum Mission

The Ultraviolet Spectrometer and Polarimeter (UVSP) on the Solar Maximum Mission spacecraft is described, including the experiment objectives, system design, performance, and modes of operation. The instrument operates in the wavelength range 1150-3600 A with better than 2 arcsec spatial resolution, raster range 256 x 256 sq arcsec, and 20 mA spectral resolution in second order. Observations can be made with specific sets of four lines simultaneously, or with both sides of two lines simultaneously for velocity and polarization. A rotatable retarder can be inserted into the spectrometer beam for measurement of Zeeman splitting and linear polarization in the transition region and chromosphere.

Woodgate, B. E.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Magnetic field rotation at high solar latitudes

Measurements of the rotation rate of polar magnetic features during 1974-76 lead to a significantly slower rotation rate than that found earlier for polar faculae in 1951-54. Similarly, the rotation rate of these features is slower than the Doppler-determined rate at polar latitudes or the rotation rate of polar filaments. It is suggested that the strong latitude rotation gradient in the subsurface magnetic flux tubes which is implied by these results may presage a very active solar maximum for cycle 21.

Howard, R.↗
NASA NTRS2013

A Fiber-Optic Aircraft Lightning Current Measurement Sensor

A fiber-optic current sensor based on the Faraday Effect is developed for aircraft installations. It can measure total lightning current amplitudes and waveforms, including continuing current. Additional benefits include being small, lightweight, non-conducting, safe from electromagnetic interference, and free of hysteresis and saturation. The Faraday Effect causes light polarization to rotate in presence of magnetic field in the direction of light propagation. Measuring the total induced light polarization change yields the total current enclosed. The system operates at 1310nm laser wavelength and can measure approximately 300 A - 300 kA, a 60 dB range. A reflective polarimetric scheme is used, where the light polarization change is measured after a round-trip propagation through the fiber. A two-detector setup measures the two orthogonal polarizations for noise subtraction and improved dynamic range. The current response curve is non-linear and requires a simple spline-fit correction. Effects of high current were achieved in laboratory using combinations of multiple fiber and wire loops. Good result comparisons against reference sensors were achieved up to 300 kA. Accurate measurements on a simulated aircraft fuselage and an internal structure illustrate capabilities that maybe difficult with traditional sensors. Also tested at a commercial lightning test facility from 20 kA to 200 kA, accuracy within 3-10% was achieved even with non-optimum setups.

Nguyen, Truong X.↗
NASA NTRS2015

A Fiber-Optic Current Sensor for Lightning Measurement Applications

An optical-fiber sensor based on Faraday Effect is developed for measuring total lightning electric current. It has many unique capabilities not possible with traditional current sensors. Designed for aircraft installation, the sensor is lightweight, non-conducting, structure-conforming, and is immune to electromagnetic interference, hysteresis and saturation. It can also be used on windmills, lightning towers, and can help validate lightning detection network measurements. Faraday Effect causes light polarization to rotate when the fiber is exposed to a magnetic field in the direction of light propagation. Thus, the magnetic field strength can be determined from the light polarization change. By forming closed fiber loops and applying Ampere's law, measuring the total light rotation yields the total current enclosed. The broadband, dual-detector, reflective polarimetric scheme allows measurement of both DC component and AC waveforms with about 60 dB dynamic range. Three sensor systems were built with different sensitivities from different laser wavelengths. Operating at 850nm, the first system uses twisted single-mode fiber and has a 150 A - 150 KA range. The second system operates at 1550nm, uses spun polarization maintaining fiber, and can measure 400 A - 400 KA. Both systems were validated with rocket-triggered lightning measurements and achieved excellent results when compared to a resistive shunt. The third system operates at 1310nm, uses spun polarization maintaining fiber, and can measure approximately 300 A - 300 KA. High current measurements up to 200 KA were demonstrated at a commercial lightning test facility. The system was recently installed on an aircraft and flown near icing weather conditions.

Nguyen, Truong X.↗
NASA NTRS2014

An Intrinsic Fiber-Optic Sensor for Structure Lightning Current Measurement

An intrinsic optical-fiber sensor based on Faraday Effect is developed that is highly suitable for measuring lightning current on aircraft, towers and complex structures. Originally developed specifically for aircraft installations, it is light-weight, non-conducting, structure conforming, and is immune to electromagnetic interference, hysteresis and saturation. It can measure total current down to DC. When used on lightning towers, the sensor can help validate other sensors and lightning detection network measurements. Faraday Effect causes light polarization to rotate when the fiber is exposed to a magnetic field in the direction of light propagation. Thus, the magnetic field strength can be determined from the light polarization change. By forming closed fiber loops and applying Ampere's law, measuring the total light rotation yields the total current enclosed. A broadband, dual-detector, reflective polarimetric scheme allows measurement of both DC component and AC waveforms with a 60 dB dynamic range. Two systems were built that are similar in design but with slightly different sensitivities. The 1310nm laser system can measure 300 A - 300 kA, and has a 15m long sensing fiber. It was used in laboratory testing, including measuring current on an aluminum structure simulating an aircraft fuselage or a lightning tower. High current capabilities were demonstrated up to 200 kA at a lightning test facility. The 1550nm laser system can measure 400 A - 400 kA and has a 25m fiber length. Used in field measurements, excellent results were achieved in the summer of 2012 measuring rocket-triggered lightning at the International Center for Lightning Research and Testing (ICLRT), Camp Blanding, Florida. In both systems increased sensitivity can be achieved with multiple fiber loops. The fiber optic sensor provides many unique capabilities not currently possible with traditional sensors. It represents an important new tool for lightning current measurement where low weight, complex shapes, large structure dimension, large current, and low frequency capabilities are important considerations.

Nguyen, Truong X.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Magnetic fields at Uranus

The conclusions drawn regarding the structure, behavior and composition of the Uranian magnetic field and magnetosphere as revealed by Voyager 2 data are summarized. The planet had a bipolar magnetotail and a bow shock wave which was observed 23.7 Uranus radii (UR) upstream and a magnetopause at 18.0 UR. The magnetic field observed can be represented by a dipole offset from the planet by 0.3 UR. The field vector and the planetary angular momentum vector formed a 60 deg angle, permitting Uranus to be categorized as an oblique rotator, with auroral zones occurring far from the rotation axis polar zones. The surface magnetic field was estimated to lie between 0.1-1.1 gauss. Both the field and the magnetotail rotated around the planet-sun line in a period of about 17.29 hr. Since the ring system is embedded within the magnetosphere, it is expected that the rings are significant absorbers of radiation belt particles.

Ness, N. F.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Airborne full polarization radiometry using the MSFC Advanced Microwave Precipitation Radiometer (AMPR)

The applications of vertically and horizontally polarized brightness temperatures in both atmospheric and surface remote sensing have been long recognized by many investigators, particularly those studying SMMR and SSM/I data. Here, the large contrast between the first two Stokes' parameters (T(sub V) and T(sub H)) can be used for detection of sea ice, measurement of ocean surface wind speed, and measurement of cloud and water vapor opacity. High-resolution aircraft data from instruments such as the NASA/MSFC AMPR is crucial for verifying radiative transfer models and developing retrieval algorithms. Currently, the AMPR is outfitted with single-polarization channels at 10, 18, 37 and 85 GHz. To increase its utility, it is proposed that additional orthogonal linearly polarized channels be added to the AMPR. Since the AMPR's feedhorns are already configured for dual orthogonal linearly polarized modes, this would require only a duplication of the currently existing receivers. To circumvent the resulting polarization basis skew caused by the cross-track scanning mechanism, the technique of Electronic Polarization Basis Rotation is proposed to be implemented. Implementation of EPBR requires precise measurement of the third Stokes parameter and will eliminate polarization skew by allowing the feedhorn basis skew angle to be corrected in software. In addition to upgrading AMPR to dual polarization capability (without skew), the modifications will provide an opportunity to demonstrate EPBR on an airborne platform. This is a highly desirable intermediate step prior to satellite implementation.

Gasiewski, Al J.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Ray Scattering by an Arbitrarily Oriented Spheroid: 2. Transmission and Cross-polarization Effects

Transmission of an arbitrarily polarized plane wave by an arbitrarily oriented spheroid in the short-wavelength limit is considered in the context of ray theory. The transmitted electric field is added to the diffracted plus reflected ray-theory electric field that was previously derived to obtain an approximation to the far-zone scattered intensity in the forward hemisphere. Two different types of cross-polarization effects are found. These are: (a) a rotation of the polarization state of the transmitted rays from when they are referenced with respect to their entrance into the spheroid to when they are referenced with respect to their exit from it and (b) a rotation of the polarization state of the transmitted rays when they are referenced with respect to the polarization state of the diffracted plus reflected rays.

Lock, James A.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Coseismic Excitation of the Earth's Polar Motion

Apart from the shaking near the epicenter that is the earthquake, a seismic event creates a permanent field of dislocation in the entire Earth. This redistribution of mass changes (slightly) the Earth's interia tensor; and the Earth's rotation will change in accordance with the conservation of angular momentum.

Earth↗
NASA NTRS1976

Circularly polarized inertial wave vectors in rotating fluids

The Navier-Stokes equations for a rotating fluid are harmonically analyzed for planar motion in an infinite half-space. All solutions are shown to be a sum of two inertial wave vectors, one circularly polarized to the left (CPL) and the other circularly polarized to the right (CPR). These basic solutions are therefore presented in the same nomenclature and form as that found useful by experimentalists in analyzing flow data (called 'rotary spectra'). The CPL wave acts counter to the Coriolis force and consequently has a slower phase speed and larger damping than the CPR wave. At resonance (forcing frequency = Coriolis frequency) the CPR wave has an infinite phase speed and no damping and is the important component leading to the singular nature of the solutions for certain boundary conditions. All possible resonant singularities are explicitly shown. The unsteady development of these unbounded (limited space structure), cyclic (no time origin or structure) flows is presented to show that with time structure the resonant singularities evolve in a self-similar manner.

Cogley, A. C.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Linear polarization in the Orion Nebula.

Photographs of the central portion of the Orion Nebula indicate small variations in polarization as a function of rotation of the polarizing filter. The effects are observed only in an area east of the Trapezium and only in the red region of the spectrum.

Feibelman, W. A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Designing Birefringent Filters For Solid-State Lasers

Mathematical model enables design of filter assembly of birefringent plates as integral part of resonator cavity of tunable solid-state laser. Proper design treats polarization eigenstate of entire resonator as function of wavelength. Program includes software modules for variety of optical elements including Pockels cell, laser rod, quarter- and half-wave plates, Faraday rotator, and polarizers.

Monosmith, Bryan↗
NASA NTRS2003

Calibration of Passive Microwave Hybrid Coupler-based Polarimeters

Passive microwave polarimeters, or polarimetric radiometers, are important tools for Earth remote sensing. They have found utility in ocean surface wind-vector remote sensing and polarization basis rotation systems for compensating instrument or ionospheric induced rotation. The hybrid coupler-based polarimeter is a specific class of polarimeter that utilizes a 180-degree hybrid coupler to affect a correlation between the received vertical and horizontal polarization signals. This type of polarimeter requires at least four calibration states for complete calibration. One state must be a polarized signal, such as the application of a correlated noise source. The phase balance of the noise source directly determines the quality of the calibration.

Piepmeier, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1986

High accuracy earth rotation and atmospheric angular momentum

Recent advances in the measurement and interpretation of earth rotation and polar motion are discussed with attention focusing on short period fluctuations and their relationship to changes in the global atmospheric angular momentum (AAM). Data acquired during the MERIT campaign are used. Fluctuations in the earth's rotation over a time scale of a year or less are dominated by atmospheric effects; agreement is found between changes in length of day and AAM estimates.

Dickey, J. O.↗
NASA NTRS1986

The decay of the mean solar magnetic field

The effects that differential rotation and a hypothetical meridional flow would have on the evolution of the sun's mean line-of-sight magnetic field as seen from earth have been analyzed. By winding the large-scale field into strips of alternating positive and negative polarity, differential rotation causes the mean-field amplitude to decay and the mean-field rotation period to acquire the value corresponding to the latitude of the surviving unwound magnetic flux. For a latitudinally broad two-sector initial field such as a horizontal dipole, the decay is rapid for about 5 rotations, and slow with a t exp-1/2 dependence thereafter. If a poleward meridional flow is present, it will accelerate the decay by carrying the residual flux to high latitudes where the line-of-sight components are small. The resulting decay is exponential with an e-folding time of 0.75 yr (10 rotations) for an assumed 15 m/s peak meridional flow speed.

Sheeley, N. R., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Wind dynamic range video camera

A television camera apparatus is disclosed in which bright objects are attenuated to fit within the dynamic range of the system, while dim objects are not. The apparatus receives linearly polarized light from an object scene, the light being passed by a beam splitter and focused on the output plane of a liquid crystal light valve. The light valve is oriented such that, with no excitation from the cathode ray tube, all light is rotated 90 deg and focused on the input plane of the video sensor. The light is then converted to an electrical signal, which is amplified and used to excite the CRT. The resulting image is collected and focused by a lens onto the light valve which rotates the polarization vector of the light to an extent proportional to the light intensity from the CRT. The overall effect is to selectively attenuate the image pattern focused on the sensor.

Craig, G. D.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Ionospheric convection driven by NBZ currents

Computer simulations of Birkeland currents and electric fields in the polar ionosphere during periods of northward IMF were conducted. When the IMF z component is northward, an additional current system, called the NBZ current system, is present in the polar cap. These simulations show the effect of the addition of NBZ currents on ionospheric convection, particularly in the polar cap. When the total current in the NBZ system is roughly 25 to 50 percent of the net region 1 and 2 currents, convection in the central portion of the polar cap reverses direction and turns sunward. This creates a pattern of four-cell convection with two small cells located in the polar cap, rotating in an opposite direction from the larger cells. When the Birkeland currents are fixed (constant current source), the electric field is reduced in regions of relatively high conductivity, which affects the pattern of ionospheric convection. Day-night asymmetries in conductivity change convection in such a way that the two polar-cap cells are located within the large dusk cell. When ionospheric convection is fixed (constant voltage source), Birkeland currents are increased in regions of relatively high conductivity. Ionospheric currents, which flow horizontally to close the Birkeland currents, are changed appreciably by the NBZ current system. The principal effect is an increase in ionospheric current in the polar cap.

Rasmussen, C. E.↗