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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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NASA NTRS1984

The National Transonic Facility - A research perspective

The capabilities of the National Transonic Facility (NTF) at NASA-Langley and its impact on aerodynamics investigations are surveyed. The fan-driven, closed-circuit transonic wind tunnel has an 8.2 sq ft slotted test section. Trials can be run from Mach 0.2-1.2, pressures of 1-8.9 atm, and temperatures of -320 to 150 F using nitrogen as the working gas. Instrumentation has been developed for monitoring force, pressure, attitude, deformation, temperature, skin friction, flow transition, and flow velocity as well as visualizing flows around the models. Pressures of 15-130 psi are available, as are Re up to 120 million at Mach 1. Correlations are being made with flight data from the Shuttle, 767, X-29A, and TACT aircraft for real-world extrapolations. The NTF, when combined with computational fluid dynamics techniques, will permit testing of aerodynamically sophisticated shapes while narrowing the design goals for each model during basic research in fluid mechanics, transport, and aerodynamic phenomena.

Campbell, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1983

NASA astrophysics - Optical systems to explore the universe

Major and minor NASA astrophysical research efforts in the near-term are outlined, together with projections of direction for future projects. The Space Telescope is being readied for a 1986 launch and will feature an f/24, 2.4 m aperture, an MgF2 mirror with better than 1/60 wavelength accuracy and will be diffraction-limited in the UV. Pointing accuracy is designed to be 0.007 arcsec for 24 hr. Optical, spectrometric, and photometric equipment will be included. Around 1990, Shuttle-based missions will include an IR telescope and a subarcsec solar surface imaging device. A free-flying X-ray observatory (AXAF) is planned and will include a sensitivity that exceeds that of the HEAO-2 spacecraft by two orders of magnitude. Instruments are under development for higher resolution UV, gamma-ray, and IR studies. In-orbit interferometry is being studied and will depend on in-orbit assembly and servicing of stable structures with segmented optics.

Pellerin, C. J., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1984

New GOES satellite synchronized time code generation

The TRAK Systems' GOES Satellite Synchronized Time Code Generator is described. TRAK Systems has developed this timing instrument to supply improved accuracy over most existing GOES receiver clocks. A classical time code generator is integrated with a GOES receiver.

Fossler, D. E.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Trends in measurement of solar vector magnetic fields using the Zeeman effect

Trends in spectropolarimetry as applied to the problem of Zeeman effect measurement are discussed. The use of detector arrays to improve observing efficiency is obtained. Which required new polarization modulation schemes that match the time required to read detector arrays. Another significant trend is narrowband filters, to improve angular and temporal coverage, and to Fourier transform spectrometers, to improve spectral coverage and precision. Low-polarization designs and improved methods for compensating instrumental polarization were developed. A requirement for high angular resolution suggests using adaptive optical devices to subdue the effects of bad seeing. The ultimate strategy to beat the seeing is to loft the telescope above the atmosphere such as is planned with a 30-cm telescope in 1985 and a 1250-cm telescope in 1990.

Harvey, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A compact Dopplergraph/magnetograph suitable for space-based measurements of solar oscillations and magnetic fields

A compact Dopplergraph/magnetograph placed in a continuous solar-viewing orbit will allow us to make major advancements in our understanding of solar internal structure and dynamics. An international program is currently being conducted at JPL and Mt. Wilson to develop such an instrument. By combining a unique magneto-optical resonance filter with CID and CCD cameras we have been able to obtain full- and partial-disk Dopplergrams and magnetograms. Time series of the velocity images are converted into k-omega power spectra which show clear- the solar nonradial p-mode oscilations. Magnetograms suitable for studying the long-term evolution of solar active regions have also been obtained with this instrument. A flight instrument based on this concept is being studied for possible inclusion in the SOHO mission.

Rhodes, E. J., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Outdoor performance testing of thin-film devices

The Advanced Systems Research Group supports the photovoltaic advanced R&D (PV AR&D) project by providing outdoor (global) testing of PV cells, submodules, modules, and arrays. The group also provides in house engineering and analysis to identify and determine how technical issues such as cell/module/system adaptations, long term stability, reliability, economics, materials availability, safety, and environmental impacts affect the development and ultimate use of advanced PV thin film, innovative cell, and material technologies. A major thrust of the research effort is to develop and utilize instrumentation and procedures for monitoring and analyzing PV cells and submodules including outdoor performance and stability testing and life cycle accelerated stress testing. To accomplish the above, the solar energy research institute (SERI) outdoor PV test facility was established in 1982. The group has designed testing systems and analysis procedures for, and has tested, numerous amorphous silicon thin film submodules provided by SERI subcontractors and has performed long term outdoor stability tests on CdS/CuIr Se sub 2 and hydrogen passivated silicon solar cells. A significant contribution from this facility over the past year was the testing of large area amorphous silicon submodules.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1986

In-flight photogrammetric measurement of wing ice accretions

A photographic instrumentation system was developed for the Lewis icing research aircraft to measure wind ice accretions during flight. The system generates stereo photographs of the accretions which are then photogrammetrically measured by the Air Force Arnold Engineering and Development Center. The measurements yield a survey of spatial coordinates of an accretion's surface to an accuracy of at least + or - 0.08 cm. The accretions can then be matched to corresponding icing cloud and aerodynamic measurements. The system is being used to measure rime, mixed, and clear natural ice accretions.

Mcknight, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

15 meter multiple mirror telescope design study

Taking as a starting point the existing Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT), a concept for a larger and more advanced instrument has been developed. It makes use of four 7.5-m diameter paraboloidal glass primaries of the honeycomb sandwich type being developed by the University of Arizona. These are mounted quite close together in a square configuration, with their axes coaligned. Separate optical configurations are provided, for optical and infrared applications. To minimze telescope emissivity in the thermal infrared at the combined focus, all the beam combining and streering optics that follow the tertiary mirrors are enclosed in a large central dewar and cooled with liquid nitrogen. The diffraction-limited resolution at the combined focus of 0.11 arcsec at 10 micrometers wavelength is equivalent to that of a 20.5 meter filled aperture. Diffraction-limited resolution should be routinely achievable at 10 and 20 micrometers, if active correction of large-scale wavefront errors is implemented.

Angel, J. R. P.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Toward improved durability in advanced combustors and turbines - Progress in prediction of thermomechanical loads

NASA is sponsoring the Turbine Engine Hot Section Technology (HOST) Project to address the need for improved durability in advanced combustors and turbines. Analytical and experimental activities aimed at more accurate prediction of the aerothermal environment, the thermomechanical loads, the material behavior and structural responses to such loading, and life predictions for high temperature cyclic operation have been underway for several years and are showing promising results. Progress is reported in the development of advanced instrumentation and in the improvement of combustor aerothermal and turbine heat transfer models that will lead to more accurate prediction of themomechanical loads.

Sokolowski, D. E.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Computer Program for Flow in a Combustor

New version of TEACH computer program developed specifically for use in analysis of subsonic, swirling, reacting, turbulent flow in cylindrical bluff-body research combustor. Combustor design widely used as research tool for mathematical modeling of gas turbines and for development of diagnostic instrumentation.

Chiappetta, Louis M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

The Multispectral Atmospheric Mapping Sensor (MAMS): Instrument description, calibration and data quality

A new instrument has been developed to produce high resolution imagery in eight visible and three infared spectral bands from an aircraft platform. An analysis of the data and calibration procedures has shown that useful data can be obtained at up to 50 m resolution with a 2.5 milliradian aperture. Single sample standard errors for the measurements are 0.5, 0.2, and 0.9 K for the 6.5, 11.1, and 12.3 micron spectral bands, respectively. These errors are halved when a 5.0 milliradian aperture is used to obtain 100 m resolution data. Intercomparisons with VAS and AVHRR measurements show good relative calibration. MAMS development is part of a larger program to develop multispectral Earth imaging capabilities from space platforms during the 1990s.

Jedlovec, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Analysis of AIS radiometry at Mono Lake, California

Airborne imaging spectrometer (AIS) data were studied to establish absolute instrumental calibration and to provide atmospheric corrections. Good agreement is found between calculated and measured radiances for uniform surface targets (beaches), but simulations of atmospheric properties with LOWTRAN lead to unreasonably low values of atmospheric precipitable water. Absorptions from CO2 are not detected in the AIS data, but are strongly present in the LOWTRAN model. The apparent low contrast of all atmospheric absorption bands leads to a study of contamination from overlapping spectral orders in the AIS data. The suspected contamination is shown unambiguously to be present beyond 1500 nm. The magnitude remains uncertain. Spectral band filling at 1400 nm cannot be accounted for by order mixing because of the 800 nm blocking filter used. Rough corrections for short wavelength mode observations might be possible if an after-the-fact radiometric calibration of the instrument can be developed.

Conel, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Spectrometry: Report of panel

Spectroscopic measurements are required to define the spectral background and provide the detailed spectral information that is essential for the design of species-specific systems and the analysis of data obtained from them. This function of spectroscopic measurements is expected to be an important part of any tropospheric remote-sensing program, and both emission and absorption spectroscopy are relevant in this context. The data from such observations are of value to tropospheric science in their own right, during the initial phases while species-specific techniques and instruments are under development. In addition, there are a number of unresolved problems in tropospheric radiative transfer and spectroscopy which presently limit the accuracy and reliability of all remote sensing methods. Only through a supporting program of spectroscopic measurements can progress be made in improving the understanding of these aspects of radiative transfer and ultimately reaching the desired confidence in the accuracy to species-specific monitoring techniques.

Farmer, C. Barney↗
NASA NTRS1986

Toward improved durability in advanced combustors and turbines: Progress in the prediction of thermomechanical loads

NASA is sponsoring the Turbine Engine Hot Section Technology (HOST) Project to address the need for improved durability in advanced combustors and turbines. Analytical and experimental activities aimed at more accurate prediction of the aerothermal environment, the thermomechanical loads, the material behavior and structural responses to such loading, and life predictions for high temperature cyclic operation have been underway for several years and are showing promising results. Progress is reported in the development of advanced instrumentation and in the improvement of combustor aerothermal and turbine heat transfer models that will lead to more accurate prediction of thermomechanical loads.

Sokolowski, Daniel E.↗
NASA NTRS1986

In-flight photogrammetric measurement of wing ice accretions

A photographic instrumentation system was developed for the Lewis icing research aircraft to measure wind ice accretions during flight. The system generates stereo photographs of the accretions which are then photogrammetrically measured by the Air Force Arnold Engineering and Development Center. The measurements yield a survey of spatial coordinates of an accretion's surface to an accuracy of at least + or - 0.08 cm. The accretions can then be matched to corresponding icing cloud and aerodynamic measurements. The system is being used to measure rime, mixed, and clear natural ice accretions.

Mcknight, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Remote sensing of the atmosphere of Mars using infrared pressure modulation and filter radiometry

The study of the atmosphere and climate of Mars will soon be advanced considerably by the Mars Observer mission. This paper describes the atmospheric sounder for this mission and how it will measure key Martian atmospheric parameters using IR gas correlation and filter radiometry. The instrument now under development will provide high-resolution vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature, pressure, water vapor, dust, and clouds using limb sounding techniques as well as nadir observations of surface thermal properties and polar radiative balance.

Mccleese, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Gas chromatographic instrumentation for the analysis of aerosols and gases in Titan's atmosphere

Instrumentation presently being developed by NASA for the collection and analysis of organic gases and aerosols in Titan's atmosphere is described together with the results of the preliminary experiments. For the aerosols, stepwise pyrolysis was shown to be a suitable method for preparing complex organic material for gas chromatography (GC), and a pyrolysis-gas chromatograph was developed and successfully used to analyze a simulated Titan aerosol. Atmospheric gases will be collected by a low-pressure gas sampling system using large-volume sample loops and analyzed by GC. The results of preliminary studies using a 20 cu cm sampling system and a very sensitive metastable ionization detector showed that hydrocarbon components at the 10 ppb level can be detected. Studies are in progress on shortening the overall analysis time by improving the pyrolysis system, the gas sampling system, and the associated gas chromatograph. Further development of the gas sampling system is planned to ensure rapid collection of samples adequate for analysis by GC over the entire range of pressures to be encountered during the probe's descent.

Scattergood, T. W.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Angular-Momentum-Compensating Actuator

Reactionless actuator developed for instrument-pointing platforms on flexible spacecraft; by eliminating reactions, actuator changes aiming angle of platform without inducing vibrations in spacecraft, eliminateing vibrations in point angle of instrument platform. Actuator used on Earth in such systems as helicopter platforms for television cameras in law enforcement and news telecasts.

Wiktor, Peter J.↗