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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 163 records · Page 9

Testing and analysis of curved frame specimens made from a Long Discontinuous Fiber (LDF) material

A long discontinuous fiber (LDF) material may be useful for constructing composite parts with complex curvature. Graphite-thermoplastic LDF curved frame specimens were studied to investigate the behavior of curved frame structures made from this material form. Experimental results for three curved frame specimens loaded in a four-point-bending configuration and finite-element predictions of strains and displacements are presented.

Jegley, Dawn C.↗

Design considerations for a Space Station radiation shield for protection from both man-made and natural sources

This study was conducted to analyze scenarios involving the use of nuclear-power vehicles in the vicinity of a manned Space Station (SS) in low-earth-orbit (LEO) to quantify their radiological impact to the station crew. In limiting the radiant dose to crew members, mission planners may (1) shut the reactor down prior to reentry, (2) position the vehicle at a prescribed parking distance, and (3) deploy radiation shield about the shutdown reactor. The current report focuses on the third option in which point-kernel gamma-ray shielding calculations were performed for a variety of shield configurations for both nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) and nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) vehicles. For a returning NTR vehicle, calculations indicate that a 14.9 MT shield would be needed to limit the integrated crew exposure to no more than 0.05 Sv over a period of six months (25 percent of the allowable exposure to man-made radiation sources). During periods of low vehicular activity in LEO, the shield may be redeployed about the SS habitation module in order to decrease crew exposures to trapped proton radiations by approximately a factor of 10. The corresponding shield mass required for deployment at a returning NEP vehicle is 2.21 MT. Additional scenarios examined include the radioactivation of various metals as might be found in tools used in EVA activities.

Bolch, Wesley E.↗

An in situ evaluation of TOPEX/Poseidon altimetric measurements versus meaurements made by moorings and inverted echo sounders for sea surface height

The classical method of observing the sea surface height has been to make shipboard measurements of the vertical - density profile, and then calculating the surface height relative to a deeper reference surface. Two methods (a moored vertical string of instruments and an inverted echo sounder) were subsequently developed to obtain longer time in situ measurements. The first of these can be thought of as an extension of the discrete bottle hydrocast while the second integrates acoustically over the water column. One purpose of this note is to compare the result when coincidental observations are made by these two methods. This was done at two sites in the western tropical Pacific. Two inverted echo sounders were deployed alongside two enhanced TOGA-COARE moorings to be used in an in situ evaluation of TOPEX/Poseidon altimetric measurements of sea surface height. The mooring and inverted echo sounder data reproduced one another, at low frequency, with a correlation of 0.93 and 0.95 and the altimeter correlated with each of the above values ranging from 0.84 to 0.94. It is concluded that the altimetric measurements are statistically equivalent to the in situ measurements in the area of study.

Source record↗

EMI Shields made from intercalated graphite composites

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding typically makes up about twenty percent of the mass of a spacecraft power system. Graphite fiber/polymer composites have significantly lower densities and higher strengths than aluminum, the present material of choice for EMI shields, but they lack the electrical conductivity that enables acceptable shielding effectiveness. Bromine intercalated pitch-based graphite/epoxy composites have conductivities fifty times higher than conventional structural graphite fibers. Calculations are presented which indicate that EMI shields made from such composites can have sufficient shielding at less than 20% of the mass of conventional aluminum shields. EMI shields provide many functions other than EMI shielding including physical protection, thermal management, and shielding from ionizing radiation. Intercalated graphite composites perform well in these areas also. Mechanically, they have much higher specific strength and modulus than aluminum. They also have shorter half thicknesses for x-rays and gamma radiation than aluminum. Thermally, they distribute infra-red radiation by absorbing and re-radiating it rather than concentrating it by reflection as aluminum does. The prospects for intercalated graphite fiber/polymer composites for EMI shielding are encouraging.

Gaier, James R.↗

Summer polar chemistry observations in the stratosphere made by HALOE

Regions of low stratospheric ozone that are anticorrelated with HCl, NO, and NO2 levels have been observed in the Arctic and Antarctic summers of 1992 and 1993 by the Halogen Occultation Experiment on the UARS platform. The low ozone areas are confined to the approximately 8-45 mb (approximately 33-21 km) region and poleward of approximately 60 deg in each hemisphere. While low polar summer ozone has been observed before, this is the first time simultaneous observations of relevant nitrogen and chlorine chemical species have been made. The phenomenon appears to be a recurring geophysical feature, and the satellite data should provide an excellent opportunity to improve our understanding of the chemistry causing these conditions.

Park, Jae H.↗

Nickel Aluminide Alloys Made By Rapid Solidification

Collection of reports describes experimental metallurgical studies of nickel aluminide alloys made by rapid-solidification powder-metallurgy process. Process incorporates ultrafine dispersions of hard, stable refractory compounds and rare-earth oxides into alloys. Effects of dispersoids on high-temperature mechanical properties (flow stress, and compressive and tensile creep) of alloys investigated. Results indicate specific additives result in improved strength and ductility.

Ray, Ranjan↗

Progress in development of tapes and magnets made from Bi-2223 superconductors

Long lengths of (Bi,Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3O(x) tapes made by powder-in-tube processing have been wound into coils. Performance of the coils has been measured at temperatures of 4.2 to 77 K, and microstructures have been examined by x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy and then related to superconducting properties. A summary of recent results and an overview of future goals are presented.

Balachandran, U.↗

IR Interference Filters Made Of Al Patterns On Si Substrates

Filters relatively thin and better accommodate convergent infrared beams. Infrared (IR) interference filters with pass bands centered at wavelength of about 70 micrometer made in form of aluminum patterns 1,000 Angstrom thick on both sides of silicon substrates 12 to 15 micrometer thick. Substrates, in turn, mounted on silicon frames 0.2 millimeter thick. Prototypes of class of miniature band-pass infrared filters small enough to be bonded to, and cooled with, infrared detectors.

Ksendzov, Alexander↗

A Comparison of Ozone Measurements Made by the ATMOS, MAS, and SSBUV Instruments During ATLAS 1,2, and 3

Ozone profile measurements were made by three instruments, ATMOS, MAS, and SSBUV, using distinctly different observing techniques, as part of the ATLAS Space Shuttle missions in March 1992, April 1993, and November 1994. ATMOS makes solar-occultation observations of infrared spectra using a Fourier transform interferometer. MAS uses a limb-scanning antenna to measure emission spectra at millimeter wavelengths. SSBUV is a nadir-viewing instrument measuring the transmission of scattered solar ultraviolet radiation modified by ozone absorption. A sample of zonal-mean mixing ratio profiles indicates that these three ATLAS instruments generally agree to within 10%, although a few potential biases have been noted. There are significant differences in the character of the agreement between ATLAS 1 and ATLAS 2 which will require further study.

Kriebel, D. L.↗

Translaminar Fracture Toughness of a Composite Wing Skin Made of Stitched Warp-knit Fabric

A series of tests were conducted to measure the fracture toughness of carbon/epoxy composites. The composites were made from warp-knit carbon fabric and infiltrated with epoxy using a resin-film-infusion process. The fabric, which was designed by McDonnell Douglas for the skin of an all-composite subsonic transport wing, contained fibers in the 0 deg, +/-45 deg, and 90 deg directions. Layers of fabric were stacked and stitched together with Kevlar yarn to form a 3-dimensional preform. Three types of test specimens were evaluated: compact tension, center notch tension, and edge notch tension. The effects of specimen size and crack length on fracture toughness were measured for each specimen type. These data provide information on the effectiveness of the test methods and on general trends in the material response. The scope of the investigation was limited by the material that was available.

Masters, John E.↗

What is the Earth Made Of?

Measurements made on materials from Earth, Mars, comets, and meteorites of Mg/Si, Al/Si, oxygen, Os, D/H, Ar/H2O, and Kr/Xe ratios, all lead to the conclusion that no primitive material similar to Earth mantle material is currently represented in our meteorite collections. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Drake, M. J.↗

Retrieval of Kinetic Temperature and Carbon Dioxide Abundance from Non-Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium Limb Emission Measurements made by the SABER Experiment on the TIMED Satellite

The Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) experiment was launched onboard the TIMED satellite in December, 2001. SABER is designed to provide measurements of the key radiative and chemical sources and sinks of energy in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT). SABER measures Earth limb emission in 10 broadband radiometer channels ranging from 1.27 micrometers to 17 micrometers. Measurements are made both day and night over the latitude range from 54 deg. S to 87 deg. N with alternating hemisphere coverage every 60 days. In this paper we concentrate on retrieved profiles of kinetic temperature (T(sub k)) and CO2 volume mixing ratio (vmr), inferred from SABER-observed 15 micrometer and 4.3 micrometer limb emissions, respectively. SABER-measured limb radiances are in non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) in the MLT region. The complexity of non-LTE radiation transfer combined with the large volume of data measured by SABER requires new retrieval approaches and radiative transfer techniques to accurately and efficiently retrieve the data products. In this paper we present the salient features of the coupled non-LTE T(sub k)/CO2 retrieval algorithm, along with preliminary results.

Mertens, Christopher J.↗

Termolecular ion-molecule reactions in Titan's atmosphere. IV. A search made at up to 1 micron in pure hydrocarbons

The results of a study of ion-molecule reactions occurring in pure methane, acetylene, ethylene, ethane, propyne, propene, propane, and diacetylene at pressures up to 40 microns of pressure are reported. A variety of experimental methods are used: The standard double resonance in an ICR, for determination of the precursor ions and the modulated double resonance ejection in an ICR, for the determination of the daughter ions. The FA-SIFT technique was used for validation and examination of termolecular reactions with rate coefficients that are less than 10(-26) cm(6) s(-1). An extensive database of reaction kinetics already exists for many of these reactions. The main point of this study was the determination of the accuracy of this database and to search for any missing reactions and reaction channels that may have been omitted from earlier investigations. A specific objective of this work was to extend the study to the highest pressures possible to find out if there were any important termolecular reaction channels occurring. A new approach was used here. In the pure hydrocarbon gases the mass spectra were followed as a function of the pressure changes of the gas. An initial guess was first made using the current literature as a source of the reaction kinetics that were expected. A model of the ion abundances was produced from the solution of the partial differential equations in terms of reaction rate coefficients and initial abundances. The experimental data was fitted to the model for all of the pressures by a least squares minimization to the reaction rate coefficients and initial abundances. The reaction rate coefficients obtained from the model were then compared to the literature values. Several new channels and reactions were discovered when the modeled fits were compared to the actual data. This is all explained in the text and the implications of these results are discussed for the Titan atmosphere.

Hydrocarbons, Acyclic/analysis↗

Gear Transmission Error Measurement System Made Operational

A system directly measuring the transmission error between the meshing spur or helical gears was installed at the NASA Glenn Research Center and made operational in August 2001. This system employs light beams directed by lenses and prisms through gratings mounted on the two gear shafts. The amount of light that passes through both gratings is directly proportional to the transmission error of the gears. The device is capable of resolution better than 0.1 mm (one thousandth the thickness of a human hair). The measured transmission error can be displayed in a "map" that shows how the transmission error varies with the gear rotation or it can be converted to spectra to show the components at the meshing frequencies. Accurate transmission error data will help researchers better understand the mechanisms that cause gear noise and vibration and will lead to The Design Unit at the University of Newcastle in England specifically designed the new system for NASA. It is the only device in the United States that can measure dynamic transmission error at high rotational speeds. The new system will be used to develop new techniques to reduce dynamic transmission error along with the resulting noise and vibration of aeronautical transmissions.

Oswald, Fred B.↗

A Step Made Toward Designing Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) Structures With High Reliability

The mechanical design of microelectromechanical systems-particularly for micropower generation applications-requires the ability to predict the strength capacity of load-carrying components over the service life of the device. These microdevices, which typically are made of brittle materials such as polysilicon, show wide scatter (stochastic behavior) in strength as well as a different average strength for different sized structures (size effect). These behaviors necessitate either costly and time-consuming trial-and-error designs or, more efficiently, the development of a probabilistic design methodology for MEMS. Over the years, the NASA Glenn Research Center s Life Prediction Branch has developed the CARES/Life probabilistic design methodology to predict the reliability of advanced ceramic components. In this study, done in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, the ability of the CARES/Life code to predict the reliability of polysilicon microsized structures with stress concentrations is successfully demonstrated.

Nemeth, Noel N.↗

Stride-Cycle Influences on Goal-Directed Head Movements Made During Walking

Horizontal head movements were studied in six subjects as they made rapid horizontal gaze adjustments while walking. The aim of the present research was to determine if gait-cycle events alter the head movement response to a visual target acquisition task. Gaze shifts of approximately 40deg were elicited by a step change in the position of a visual target from a central location to a second location in the left or right horizontal periphery. The timing of the target position change was constrained to occur at 25,50,75 and 100% of the stride cycle. The trials were randomly presented as the subjects walked on a treadmill at their preferred speed (range: 1.25 to 1.48 m/s, mean: 1.39 +/- 0.09 m/s ) . Analyses focused on the movement onset latencies of the head and eyes and on the peak velocity and saccade amplitude of the head movement response. A comparison of the group means indicated that the head movement onset lagged the eye onset (262 ms versus 252 ms). The head and eye movement onset latencies were not affected by either the direction of the target change nor the point in the gait cycle during which the target relocation occurred. However, the presence of an interaction between the gait cycle events and the direction of the visual target shift indicates that the peak head saccade velocity and head saccade amplitude are affected by the natural head oscillations that occur while walking.

Peters, Brian T.↗

Device and Method for Connections Made Between a Crimp Connector and Wire

An ultrasonic device and method obtains desirable crimp connections between a crimp connector and a wire, or bundle of wires, by assessing the desirability of connections made in a wire-to-wire connection and in other situations where two materials with good acoustic propagation characteristics are joined together via deformation. An embodiment of the device as a crimping tool comprises a compressing means, pulse-generating circuitry. at least one ultrasonic transmitting transducer, at least one ultrasonic receiving transducer, receiving circuitry, and a display. The user may return to a previously crimped connection and assess the desirability of the connection by compressing the device about the connection, sending an acoustic signal through the crimp, andco111paring the received signal to a signal obtained from known desirable connections.

Yost, William T.↗

Recent Progress Made in the Development of High-Energy UV Transmitter

In this paper, the status of an all-solid-state UV converter development for ozone sensing applications is discussed. A high energy Nd:YAG laser for pumping the UV converter arrangement was recently reported. The pump is an all-solid-state, single longitudinal mode, and conductively cooled Nd:YAG laser operating at 1064 nm wavelength. Currently, this pump laser provides an output pulse energy of greater than 1J/pulse at 50 Hz PRF and a pulsewidth of 22 ns with an electrical-to-optical system efficiency of greater than 7% and a M(sup 2) value of approx. 2. The spatial profile of the output beam is a rectangular super Gaussian. This Nd:YAG pump laser has been developed to pump the nonlinear optics based UV converter arrangement to generate 320 nm and 308 nm wavelengths by means of 532 nm wavelength. Previously, this UV converter arrangement has demonstrated IR-to-UV conversion efficiency of 24% using a flash lamp pumped laser providing a round, flat top spatial profile. Recently, the UV converter was assembled and tested at NASA LaRC for pumping with the diode pumped Nd:YAG laser. With current spatial profile, the UV converter was made operational. Current efforts to maximize the nonlinear conversion efficiency by refining its spatial profile to match RISTRA OPO requirements are progressing.

Prasad, Narasimha S.↗