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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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Time calibration procedures for streak cameras utilizing a modulated laser beam are described. The time calibration determines a writing rate accuracy of 0.15% with a rotating mirror camera and 0.3% with an image converter camera.
Electronic ergometer calibration equipment and errors at high work loads
Ultraviolet calibration procedures for determining spectral reflectivity of lunar surface for use in Gemini experiments
The cosmic ray veto detector for the Mu2e experiment consists of scintillation bars embedded with wavelength-shifting fibers and read out by silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). Here, in this manuscript, the calibration procedures of the SiPMs are described including corrections for the temperature dependence of their light yield. These corrections are needed as the SiPMs are not kept at a constant temperature due to the complexity and cost of implementing a cooling system on such a large detector. Rather, it was decided to monitor the temperature to allow the appropriate corrections to be made. The SiPM temperature dependence has been measured in a dedicated experiment and the calibration procedures were validated with data from production detectors awaiting installation at Fermilab.
Description of NASA Airborn Topographic Mapper (ATM) lidar calibration procedures including analysis of the accuracy and consistancy of various ATM instrument parameters and the resulting influence on topographic elevation measurements. The ATM elevations measurements from a nominal operating altitude 500 to 750 m above the ice surface was found to be: Horizontal Accuracy 74 cm, Horizontal Precision 14 cm, Vertical Accuracy 6.6 cm, Vertical Precision 3 cm.
In 2011, NASA Glenn s Icing Research Tunnel underwent a major modification to it s refrigeration plant and heat exchanger. This paper presents the results of the subsequent full cloud calibration. Details of the calibration procedure and results are presented herein. The steps include developing a nozzle transfer map, establishing a uniform cloud, conducting a drop sizing calibration and finally a liquid water content calibration. The goal of the calibration is to develop a uniform cloud, and to build a transfer map from the inputs of air speed, spray bar atomizing air pressure and water pressure to the output of median volumetric droplet diameter and liquid water content.
Gamma-ray imagers with coded apertures have a finite field of view (FOV) within which an image of a source can be generated. A “FOV scan” is a facet of imager calibration procedure that involves collecting specialized data for a range of source locations filling the FOV in order to understand and correct for differences in imager performance. Systematic distortions reveal relative displacements between internal imager components, which can be accounted for in data analysis. The success of this scan requires a stable imager position during the full measurement duration (~hours). This document summarizes the hardware and software tools required to conduct a FOV calibration scan of an H3D H420 Coded Aperture Gamma-Ray Imager.
The inaugural calibration of the ice crystal and supercooled liquid water clouds generated in NASA Glenn's engine altitude test facility, the Propulsion Systems Lab (PSL) is reported herein. This calibration was in support of the inaugural engine ice crystal validation test. During the Fall of 2012 calibration effort, cloud uniformity was documented via an icing grid, laser sheet and cloud tomography. Water content was measured via multi-wire and robust probes, and particle sizes were measured with a Cloud Droplet Probe and Cloud Imaging Probe. The environmental conditions ranged from 5,000 to 35,000 ft, Mach 0.15 to 0.55, temperature from +50 to -35 F and relative humidities from less than 1 percent to 75 percent in the plenum.
Blunt-forebody pressure data are used to study the behavior of the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center flush airdata sensing (FADS) pressure model and solution algorithm. The model relates surface pressure measurements to the airdata state. Spliced from the potential flow solution for uniform flow over a sphere and the modified Newtonian impact theory, the model was shown to apply to a wide range of blunt-forebody shapes and Mach numbers. Calibrations of a sphere, spherical cones, a Rankine half body, and the F-14, F/A-18, X-33, X-34, and X-38 configurations are shown. The three calibration parameters are well-behaved from Mach 0.25 to Mach 5.0, an angle-of-attack range extending to greater than 30 deg, and an angle-of-sideslip range extending to greater than 15 deg. Contrary to the sharp calibration changes found on traditional pitot-static systems at transonic speeds, the FADS calibrations are smooth, monotonic functions of Mach number and effective angles of attack and sideslip. Because the FADS calibration is sensitive to pressure port location, detailed measurements of the actual pressure port locations on the flight vehicle are required and the wind-tunnel calibration model should have pressure ports in similar locations. The procedure for calibrating a FADS system is outlined.
Blunt-forebody pressure data are used to study the behavior of the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center flush airdata sensing (FADS) pressure model and solution algorithm. The model relates surface pressure measurements to the airdata state. Spliced from the potential flow solution for uniform flow over a sphere and the modified Newtonian impact theory, the model was shown to apply to a wide range of blunt-forebody shapes and Mach numbers. Calibrations of a sphere, spherical cones, a Rankine half body, and the F-14, F/A-18, X-33, X-34, and X-38 configurations are shown. The three calibration parameters are well-behaved from Mach 0.25 to Mach 5.0, an angle-of-attack range extending to greater than 30 deg, and an angle-of-sideslip range extending to greater than 15 deg. Contrary to the sharp calibration changes found on traditional pitot-static systems at transonic speeds, the FADS calibrations are smooth, monotonic functions of Mach number and effective angles of attack and sideslip. Because the FADS calibration is sensitive to pressure port location, detailed measurements of the actual pressure port locations on the flight vehicle are required and the wind-tunnel calibration model should have pressure ports in similar locations. The procedure for calibrating a FADS system is outlined.
The NASA Glenn Research Center 2019 Icing Research Tunnel cloud calibration results are presented in this paper. The current status of the cloud uniformity, liquid water content, and drop-size calibration results will be discussed. The goals achieved in this calibration were to establish a uniform cloud and to generate transfer functions from the inputs of airspeed, spray bar atomizing air pressure, and spray bar water pressure to the outputs of median volumetric diameter (drop size distributions) and liquid water content. This was completed for both 14 CFR Parts 25 and 29, Appendix C (“typical” icing) and Appendix O (supercooled large drop) conditions. The cloud uniformity from the Standard nozzles has remained the same as what was reported for the 2014 full calibration. Changes were made to the Mod1 nozzle cloud, resulting in higher liquid water content values associated with the Mod1 cloud.
The Attitude Ground Support System (AGSS) at Goddard Space Flight Center provides ground attitude support for the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO) missions. The AGSS uses information telemetered from sun sensors, gyroscopes, star trackers (STAs), and an onboard computer to calculate updates to the onboard attitude reference and gyro calibration parameters. This paper presents the procedures used by the AGSS in computing reference and calibration updates; it also provides HEAO-1 postlaunch statistics that illustrate the ability to maintain 0.25-deg accuracy in the onboard attitude reference. Simulated HEAO-B results show an improvement in reference accuracy through the use of calibration maneuvers.
The results of the December 2013 to February 2014 Icing Research Tunnel full icing cloud calibration are presented. The calibration steps included establishing a uniform cloud and conducting drop size and liquid water content calibrations. The goal of the calibration was to develop a uniform cloud, and to generate a transfer function from the inputs of air speed, spray bar atomizing air pressure and water pressure to the outputs of median volumetric drop diameter and liquid water content. This was done for both 14 CFR Parts 25 and 29, Appendix C ('typical' icing) and soon-to-be released Appendix O (supercooled large drop) conditions.
This report summarizes the current status of the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) Icing Research Tunnel cloud calibration: specifically, the cloud uniformity, liquid water content, and drop-size calibration results from both the January-February 2014 full cloud calibration and the January 2015 interim cloud calibration. Some aspects of the cloud have remained the same as what was reported for the 2014 full calibration, including the cloud uniformity from the Standard nozzles, the drop-size equations for Standard and Mod1 nozzles, and the liquid water content for large-drop conditions. Overall, the tests performed in January 2015 showed good repeatability to 2014, but there is new information to report as well. There have been minor updates to the Mod1 cloud uniformity on the north side of the test section. Also, successful testing with the OAP-230Y has allowed the IRT to re-expand its operating envelopes for large-drop conditions to a maximum median volumetric diameter of 270 microns. Lastly, improvements to the collection-efficiency correction for the SEA multi-wire have resulted in new calibration equations for Standard- and Mod1-nozzle liquid water content.
Thin film heat transfer gauge for use in hypersonic shock tunnel - contour, calibration of thin film sensors, and cost reduction
The sources of error that may enter into the measurement of airspeed by pitot-static methods are reviewed in detail together with methods of flight calibration of airspeed installations. Special attention is given to the problem of accurate measurements of airspeed under conditions of high speed and maneuverability required of military airplanes. (author)
Inter-channel mis-synchronisation can be a limiting factor to the time resolution of high performance timing detectors with multiple readout channels and independent electronics units. In these systems, time calibration methods employed must be able to efficiently correct for minimal mis-synchronisation between channels and achieve the best detector performance. We present an iterative time calibration method based on Markov Chains, suitable for detector systems with multiple readout channels. Starting from correlated hit pairs alone, and without requiring an external reference time measurement, the method solves for fixed per-channel offsets, with precision limited only by the intrinsic single-channel resolution. A mathematical proof that the method is able to find the correct time offsets to be assigned to each detector channel in order to achieve inter-channel synchronisation is given, and it is shown that the number of iterations to reach convergence within the desired precision is controllable with a single parameter. Numerical studies are used to confirm unbiased recovery of true offsets. Finally, the application of the calibration method to the Super Fine-Grained Detector (SuperFGD) and the Time of Flight (TOF) detector at the upgraded T2K near detector (ND280) shows good improvement in overall timing resolution, demonstrating the effectiveness in a real-world scenario and scalability.