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Results for “SCANNING DEVICE”

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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1973

Analysis of the dynamics and frequency spectrum synthesis of an optical-mechanical scanning device

A two-coordinate optical-mechanical scanning device (OMSD), the operating unit of which is a scanning disk, with directional and focusing optics and a board, on which the data carrier is placed, is examined. The disk and board are kinematically connected by a transmission mechanism, consisting of a worm and complex gear drive and a tightening screw-nut with correcting device, and it is run by a synchronous type motor. The dynamic errors in the system depend, first, on irregularities in rotation of the disk, fluctuations in its axis and vibrations of the table in the plane parallel to the plane of the disk. The basic sources of the fluctuations referred to above are residual disbalance of the rotor and other rotating masses, the periodic component of the driving torque of the synchronous motor, variability in the resistance, kinematic errors in the drive and other things. The fluctuations can be transmitted to the operating units through the kinematic link as a flexural-torsional system, as well as through vibrations of the housing of the device.

Andryushkevichyus, A. I.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Elemental Scanning Devices Authenticate Works of Art

To better detect aluminum compounds, Marshall Space Flight Center partnered with KeyMaster Inc. (later acquired by Madison, Wisconsin-based Bruker AXS Inc.) to develop a vacuum pump system that could be attached to X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanners. The resulting technology greatly expanded XRF scanner capabilities, and hundreds of museums now use them to authenticate artifacts and works of art.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1994

Results of a laboratory experiment that tests rotating unbalanced-mass devices for scanning gimbaled payloads and free-flying spacecraft

Rotating unbalanced-mass (RUM) devices are a new way to scan space-based, balloon-borne, and ground-based gimbaled payloads, like x-ray and gamma-ray telescopes. They can also be used to scan free-flying spacecraft. Circular scans, linear scans, and raster scans can be generated. A pair of RUM devices generates the basic scan motion and an auxiliary control system using torque motors, control moment gyros, or reaction wheels keeps the scan centered on the target and produces some complementary motion for raster scanning. Previous analyses and simulation results show that this approach offers significant power savings compared to scanning only with the auxiliary control system, especially with large payloads and high scan frequencies. However, these claims have never been proven until now. This paper describes a laboratory experiment which tests the concept of scanning a gimbaled payload with RUM devices. A description of the experiment is given and test results that prove the concept are presented. The test results are compared with those from a computer simulation model of the experiment and the differences are discussed.

Alhorn, D. C.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Rotating Unbalanced-Mass devices for scanning: Results from the proof-of-concept test

Rotating unbalanced-mass (RUM) devices are a new way to scan space-based, balloon-borne, and ground-based gimbaled payloads, like x-ray and gamma-ray telescopes. They can also be used to scan free-flying spacecraft. Circular scans, linear scans, and raster scans can be generated. A pair of RUM devices generates the basic scan motion and an auxiliary control system using torque motors, control moment gyros, or reaction wheels keeps the scan centered on the target and produces some complementary motion for raster scanning. Previous analyses and simulation results show that this approach offers significant power savings compared to scanning only with the auxiliary control system, especially with large payloads and high scan frequencies. However, these claims have never been proven until now. This paper describes a laboratory experiment which tests the concept of scanning a gimbaled payload with RUM devices. The test results are compared with those from a computer simulation model of the experiment and the differences are discussed.

Alhorn, Dean C.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Rotating Unbalanced-Mass Devices for Scanning: Proof-of-Concept Test Results

This experiment proves the concept of line-of-sight scanning space-based and balloon-borne instruments and telescopes with rotating unbalanced-mss (RUM) devices. Extending the concept to free-flying spacecraft is straightforward. When line-of-sight scanning is required, but optical or electronic line-of-sight scanning is impossible, then scanning with RUM devices can offer huge power and mass savings, better system reliability and stability, and improved scan accuracy. This is especially true with large instruments and telescopes scanning at high frequencies.

Alhorn, Dean C.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Rotating-unbalanced-mass Devices for Scanning Balloon-borne Experiments, Free-flying Spacecraft, and Space Shuttle/space Station Experiments

A new method is presented for scanning balloon-borne experiments, free-flying spacecraft, and gimballed experiments mounted to the space shuttle or the space station. It uses rotating-unbalanced-mass (RUM) devices for generating circular, line, or raster scan patterns and an auxiliary control system for target acquisition, keeping the scan centered on the target, and producing complementary motion for raster scanning. It is ideal for applications where the only possible way to accomplish the required scan is to physically scan the entire experiment or spacecraft as in x ray and gamma ray experiments. In such cases, this new method should have advantages over prior methods in terms of either power, weight, cost, performance, stability, or a combination of these.

Polites, Michael E.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Suspension system for gimbal supported scanning payloads

Gimballed scanning devices or instruments are the subject of this invention. Scanning is an important aspect of space science. To achieve a scan pattern some means must be provided which impart to the payload an oscillatory motion. Various forms of machines have been employed for controllably conferring on scanning instruments predetermined scan patterns. They include control moment gyroscopes, reaction wheels, torque motors, reaction control systems, and the like. But rotating unbalanced mass (RUM) devices are a new and efficient way to generate scans in gimballed payloads. RUM devices are superior to previous scanning apparatus, but they require power consuming and frequently complex auxiliary control systems to position and reposition the particular scan pattern relative to a target or a number of targets. Herein the control system is simplified. The most frequently employed method for achieving the various scan patterns is to gimbal the scanning device. Gimbals are suspended in such a way that they can be activated to generate the scan pattern. The suspension means described is for payloads supported in gimbals wherein the payload rotation is restricted by a flex pivot so that the payload oscillates, thereby moving in a scan pattern.

Polites, Michael E.↗
NASA NTRS1986

OH radical measurements by optical absorption spectroscopy

The long path absorption spectroscopy (LPA) measurement of OH utilizes the strong UV absorption spectrum of the molecule with well resolved rotational lines around 308 nm. The light source consists of an Ar ion laser pumped CW dye laser, the output of which is frequency doubled to emit a spectrally smooth light profile of 0.1 nm FWHM at 308 nm. This is considerably broader than the sharp (0.0018 nm wide) absorption features of OH and also wider than the total spectral region (0.06 nm) scanned around the OH lines. For field measurements a Cassegrain-type telescope expands the small diameter of the original laser beam by a factor of 50 to about a 0.25-m diameter in order to reduce the divergence of the beam as well as its mean photon flux density, thus reducing the maximum self-generated OH concentration to 40,000 cu. cm. The light is passed into the open atmosphere and reflected at about 5 km distance resulting in a 10-km light path length. A telescope focuses the returning light onto the entrance slit of a monochromator the single exit slit of which is replaced by a mechanical scanning device operating at a scan repetition rate of 6.6 KHz. For a typical measurement (1h duration) some 20,000,000 scans are averaged, rendering the contribution of atmospheric turbulence to the spectral noise negligible.

Platt, U.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Infrared Temperature Measurements of a Reciprocating Seal Test

A system has been developed to perform a computer analysis on surface temperature data in tribological systems, taken by an infrared radiation scanning device. The infrared scanner which normally scans at 25 fields per second and 100 lines per field has been modified to scan any single line at 2500 lines per second. The system was used to analyze four friction experiments as part of a thermal behavior study of Stirling engine seals in cooperation between Georgia Institute of Technology and Mechanical Technology, Incorporated. The friction experiments involved two tribo pairs, Rulon on steel and Rulon on sapphire. The results clearly demonstrate the importance of the relative rate of cooling and the mechanical cycle time of the system. For rapid mechanical cycle times in the friction experiment the surface temperature distribution reflects the distribution of energy input on the surface and the temperatures persist for periods longer than that of the mechanical cycle.

Meinders, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Fast scan control for deflection type mass spectrometers

A high speed scan device is reported that allows most any scanning sector mass spectrometer to measure preselected gases at a very high sampling rate. The device generates a rapidly changing staircase output which is applied to the accelerator of the spectrometer and it also generates defocusing pulses that are applied to one of the deflecting plates of the spectrometer which when shorted to ground deflects the ion beam away from the collector. A defocusing pulse occurs each time there is a change in the staircase output.

Yeager, P. R.↗