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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 NTRS1983

Friction, wear, transfer and wear surface morphology of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene

Tribological studies at 25 C in a 50-percent-relative-humidity air atmosphere were conducted using hemispherically tipped 440 C HT (high temperature) stainless steel pins sliding against ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) disks. The results indicate that sliding speed, sliding distance, contact stress and specimen geometry can markedly affect friction, UHMWPE wear, UHMWPE transfer and the type of wear mechanisms that occur. Adhesion appears to be the predominant wear mechanism; but after long sliding distances at slow speeds, heavy ridges of transfer result which can induce fatigue-like wear on the UHMWPE disk wear track. In one instance, abrasive wear to the metallic pin was observed. This was caused by a hard particle embedded in the UHMWPE disk wear track.

Fusaro, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Reliability analysis of an ultra-reliable fault tolerant control system

This report analyzes the reliability of NASA's Ultra-reliable Fault Tolerant Control System (UFTCS) architecture as it is currently envisioned for helicopter control. The analysis is extended to air transport and spacecraft control using the same computational and voter modules applied within the UFTCS architecture. The system reliability is calculated for several points in the helicopter, air transport, and space flight missions when there are initially 4, 5, and 6 operating channels. Sensitivity analyses are used to explore the effects of sensor failure rates and different system configurations at the 10 hour point of the helicopter mission. These analyses show that the primary limitation to system reliability is the number of flux windings on each flux summer (4 are assumed for the baseline case). Tables of system reliability at the 10 hour point are provided to allow designers to choose a configuration to meet specified reliability goals.

Curry, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Acoustically-induced modulation spectroscopy for ultra-sensitive gas analysis

A new optical technique has been developed for ultra-sensitive attenuation measurements in gaseous media and, in particular, for determination of low levels of smoke emitted from jet engines. It is a variation on direct light transmission where the sample gas density in a cell is modulated acoustically by a speaker. The amplitude variation of the light transmission is proportional to the gas density and is insensitive to window contamination and detector instabilities. Preliminary analysis and experiments indicate that the instrument promises to measure light absorption to less than 1 percent per meter and allow measurment of smoke emissions from 1 to 100 mg/cu m. The technique has been demonstrated through the use of an absorbing gas, viz., 200 ppm of NO2 in N2 which produces 25 percent per meter absorption.

Pitz, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Evidence for long-term variability in the ultra high energy photon flux from Cygnus X-3

A time-correlation analysis of atmospheric Cerenkov pulses by a wide-angle photomultiplier system was previously shown to have present in it a nonrandom component which seemed associated with the Right Ascension (RA) range approx. 20+or-04h. A recent examination of multi-muon events recorded by a photon-decay detector shows a similar time-dependent effect, closely matching the previous results, supporting the suggestion that the effect is of cosmic origin. However, even though Cyg. X-3 lies well inside the region of peak intensity, it does not seem possible to ascribe to it the whole effect, for the implied photon flux appears too large to be reconciled to various gamma-ray measurements of Cyg. X-3. The original data were subjected to a phase-histogram analysis and it as found that only 2.5% of overall recorded data are compatible with a phase-dependent emission from Cyg. X-3. Assuming these events to be gamma rays yields a detected flux of (2.6 + or - 0.3) x 10 to the minus 12th power gamma cm -2s-1 above 5 x 10 to the 14th power eV. Comparing this value with more recent ultra high energy (UHE) photon data from the same source, it is suggested that the available data generally favor a long-term reduction in the Cyg. X-3 inferred luminosity ( 10 to the 13th power eV) by a factor of (1.8 + or - 0.3) per year.

Bhat, C. L.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Ultra high energy gamma rays, cosmic rays and neutrinos from accreting degenerate stars

Super-Eddington accretion for a recently proposed unipolar induction model of cosmic ray acceleration in accreting binary star systems containing magnetic white dwarfs or neutron stars is considered. For sufficiently high accretion rates and low magnetic fields, the model can account for: (1) acceleration of cosmic ray nuclei up to energies of 10 to the 19th power eV; (2) production of more or less normal solar cosmic ray composition; (3) the bulk of cosmic rays observed with energies above 1 TeV, and probably even down to somewhat lower energies as well; and (4) possibly the observed antiproton cosmic ray flux. It can also account for the high ultra high energy (UHE) gamma ray flux observed from several accreting binary systems (including Cygnus X-3), while allowing the possibility of an even higher neutrino flux from these sources, with L sub nu/L sub gamma is approximately 100.

Brecher, K.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Observations of potential ultra high energy gamma-ray sources above 10(15) eV

The Haverah Park 50 m water-Cerenkov array has been used to examine a number of periodic sources for ultra high energy gamma-ray emission above 10 to the 15th power eV. The data, recorded between 1 Jan. 1979 and 31 Dec. 1984, feature a modest angular resolution of approx 3 deg with millisecond arrival time resolution post 1982. The sources investigated include the Crab pulsar, Her X-1, Au0115 + 63 and Geminga. All objects have been detected by workers in the TeV region, with varying degrees of confidence.

Lambert, A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Ultra high energy cosmic ray spectrum

Ultra-high energy cosmic rays have been observed by means of atmospheric fluorescence with the Fly's Eye since 1981. The differential energy spectrum above 0.1 EeV is well fitted by a power law with slope 2.94 + or - 0.02. Some evidence of flattening of the spectrum is observed or energies greater than 10 EeV, however only one event is observed with energy greater than 50 EeV and a spectral cutoff is indicated above 70 EeV.

Baltrusaitis, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS1985

A new ultra high energy gamma ray telescope at Ohya mine

The search for ultra high energy gamma rays coming from point sources is one of the main experimental aims. A fast air shower timing system was constructed at ICRR for the study of the angular resolution of the system and operated approximately half a year. The characteristics of the surface array of Ohya air shower telescope is described.

Aoki, T.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Ultra high energy events in ECHOS series and primary energy spectrum

The compilation of ultra high energy jets suggests at present the existence of a bump in primary energy spectrum (with the standard concept of high energy collisions). The pseudo-rapidity distribution exhibits some typical anomalies, more than the (P sub t) behavior, which are (may be) the fingerprints of quark gluon plasma transition. The next results of Emulsion Chamber on Supersonic (ECHOS) will be in both cases determinant to confirm those tendancies, as well as an important effort of the cosmic ray community to develop in that sense a flying emulsion chamber experiment.

Capdevielle, J. N.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Alkali gabbronorite, ultra-KREEPy melt rock and the diverse suite of clasts in North Ray crater feldspathic fragmental breccia 67975

Lunar breccia 67975 is a feldspathic fragmental breccia from North Ray crater, Apollo 16. It contains clasts of alkali gabbronorite and ultra-KREEPy mafic fragment-laden melt breccias, which are unique among Apollo 16 samples. Both are alkali- and iron-rich rocks with moderate to high REE concentrations. They more strongly resemble Apollo 14 gabbronorites and alkali anorthosites and KREEP-rich rocks than they do other Apollo 16 samples. The other clasts in 67975 are the ferroan anorthosites, feldspathic melt rocks, and magnesian granulites, which are typical of other feldspathic fragmental breccias. Examination of bulk and mineral compositions of other breccias and melt rocks suggests that alkali gabbronorite may be a minor component in other North Ray crater breccias and feldspathic melt rocks. This implies that alkali gabbronorite was a fairly early (4.0 b.y.) crustal component in the North Ray crater region.

Lindstrom, M. M.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Ultra lightweight mirror performance at 8 degrees kelvin

Earlier work funded by DARPA, evaluating the optical stability of a 0.5-m ultra-lightweight, frit-bonded, fused silica mirror, is extended from the previous 100 deg K specification down to 8 deg K. The thermal stability is excellent and comparable to that for conventional fusion and solid mirrors. The total mirror change of 0.10 lambda rms (lambda = 0.6328 microns) meets the needs of most IR systems. Thermal elastic quilting is excellent (0.008 lambda). Ames Research Center and Kodak data evaluations, done independently, are in very good agreement.

Crowe, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Ultra-Stable Superconducting-Maser Oscillator

Unprecedented stability of frequency in superconducting, triple-cavity ruby maser oscillator achieved by incorporation of amplitude-control subsystem. New design enhances ultra-stable measurements of time by reducing fluctuations to 2 X 10 to negative 19th power routinely, and to as little as 10 to negative 20th power in exceptional cases. Currents induced in superconducting pickup coil by changes in magnetic field in ruby. Currents from coil fed to superconducting quantum-interference device (SQUID) magnetometer, output used to generate control signal for electronically variable attenuator. Attenuator varies pump-signal amplitude in response to magnetic-field fluctuations in ruby. Very high feedback-loop gain used for sensitivity of control and adequate compensation of fluctuations.

Strayer, Donald M.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Radiowave scattering and ultra-long-baseline interferometry

Interstellar scattering can irretrievably blur the images of compact radio sources when examined with extremely high resolution. Because of this effect, diffraction limited observations of extragalactic sources with an Earth-Moon baseline will only be possible at frequencies above about 7 GHz, in which case the resolution will be approx. = to or less than 20 microarcsec. Preliminary observations to determine the potential usefulness of such resolving power are discussed. The simplest of these would consist of a search for interstellar scintillations in compact sources at 10 GHz, which would provide an effective resolution about equal to that of an Earth-Moon baseline at this frequency. Also important in this context is the development of very long baseline interferometry in near-Earth orbit, as any ultra high resolution observations, if appropriate, would require intermediate baselines for mapping.

Dennison, Brian↗
NASA NTRS1989

Ultra-light duct for an anechoic wind tunnel

A tunnel ultra-light (or TUL) is a duct composed of acoustically transparent cloth designed to transform an open-jet wind tunnel into a closed-jet wind tunnel. This concept is of interest (a priori) for anechoic wind tunnels because it improves the aerodynamic quality without hindering the measurement of sound in the far field. A full scale device designed for the 3 m diameter test section of CEPRA 19 was described. The apparatus installation did not develop any significant problems, and the mechanical support turned out to be excellent. Aerodynamic and acoustic tests are discussed. Certain imperfections in the installation as tested - instabilities above 25 m/s and acceptable cloth transmission up to 4kHz were revealed. The system as tested could eventually be used in certain applications, for example, in ground based transport. However, the concept of TUL must be developed further to arrive at a reliable mechanism for use in a large number of applications.

Lambourion, J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The origin of ultra-compact binaries

The origin of ultra-compact binaries composed of a neutron star and a low-mass (about 0.06 solar mass) white dwarf is considered. Taking account of the systemic losses of mass and angular momentum, it was found that a serious difficulty exists in the scenarios which involve tidal captures of a normal star (a main sequence star or a red giant) by a neutron star. This difficulty can be avoided if a red giant star is captured by a massive white dwarf (M is approx. greater than 1.2 solar masses), which becomes a neutron star through the accretion induced collapse.

Hachisu, Izumi↗
NASA NTRS1990

ULTRA-SHARP nonoscillatory convection schemes for high-speed steady multidimensional flow

For convection-dominated flows, classical second-order methods are notoriously oscillatory and often unstable. For this reason, many computational fluid dynamicists have adopted various forms of (inherently stable) first-order upwinding over the past few decades. Although it is now well known that first-order convection schemes suffer from serious inaccuracies attributable to artificial viscosity or numerical diffusion under high convection conditions, these methods continue to enjoy widespread popularity for numerical heat transfer calculations, apparently due to a perceived lack of viable high accuracy alternatives. But alternatives are available. For example, nonoscillatory methods used in gasdynamics, including currently popular TVD schemes, can be easily adapted to multidimensional incompressible flow and convective transport. This, in itself, would be a major advance for numerical convective heat transfer, for example. But, as is shown, second-order TVD schemes form only a small, overly restrictive, subclass of a much more universal, and extremely simple, nonoscillatory flux-limiting strategy which can be applied to convection schemes of arbitrarily high order accuracy, while requiring only a simple tridiagonal ADI line-solver, as used in the majority of general purpose iterative codes for incompressible flow and numerical heat transfer. The new universal limiter and associated solution procedures form the so-called ULTRA-SHARP alternative for high resolution nonoscillatory multidimensional steady state high speed convective modelling.

Leonard, B. P.↗
NASA NTRS1990

The Ultra High Resolution XUV Spectroheliograph

The Ultra High Resolution XUV Spectroheliograph (UHRXS), a solar observatory planned for the Space Station Freedom, is described. The UHRXR instruments include nine XUV Ritchey-Chretien telescopes covering a spectral range of 70-350 A, which will provide images of solar atmosphere structures ranging in temperature from 50,000 to 20,000,000 K. The images will be obtained with spatial resolution that is an order of magnitude better than any other currently planned solar satellite experiment.

Walker, Arthur B. C., Jr.↗