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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 19 records

Flat H Redundant Frangible Joint Development

Orion and Commercial Crew Program (CCP) Partners have chosen to use frangible joints for certain separation events. The joints currently available are zero failure tolerant and will be used in mission safety applications. The goal is to further develop a NASA designed redundant frangible joint that will lower flight risk and increase reliability. FY16 testing revealed a successful design in subscale straight test specimens that gained efficiency and supports Orion load requirements. Approach / Innovation A design constraint is that the redundant joint must fit within the current Orion architecture, without the need for additional vehicle modification. This limitation required a design that changed the orientation of the expanding tube assemblies (XTAs), by rotating them 90deg from the standard joint configuration. The change is not trivial and affects the fracture mechanism and structural load paths. To address these changes, the design incorporates cantilevered arms on the break plate. The shock transmission and expansion of the XTA applies force to these arms and creates a prying motion to push the plate walls outward to the point of structural failure at the notched section. The 2014 test design revealed that parts could slip during functioning wasting valuable energy needed to separate the structure with only a single XTA functioning. Dual XTA functioning fully separated the assembly showing a discrepancy can be backed up with redundancy. Work on other fully redundant systems outside NASA is limited to a few patents that have not been subjected to functionality testing Design changes to prevent unwanted slippage (with ICA funding in 2015) showed success with a single XTA. The main goal for FY 2016 was to send the new Flat H RFJ to WSTF where single XTA test failures occurred back in 2014. The plan was to gain efficiency in this design by separating the Flat H RFJ with thicker ligaments with dimensions baselined in 2014. Other modifications included geometry changes to better disperse loads paths and to minimize air gaps. The design additionally added more structural strength to enhance the structural limits in static loads testing. The design also implemented a smoother load line through the assembly. Results / Knowledge Gained The new Flat H RFJ successfully fractured at WSTF with thicker ligaments and lower cord size. Where failure to separate occurred earlier, there is now excessive energy available for structural separation. The new challenge to provide some structural support to prevent secondary fracturing of the break plate remains to be completed. This future work is being funded by the JSC Engineering Directorate in 2017 to elevate the TRL on curved Flat H RFJs that configure with the Orion Service Panel Separation. Additional funding from JSC Engineering will provide new design testing to avoid secondary fracturing.

Brown, Chris↗

Modified Mean-Pyramid Coding Scheme

Modified mean-pyramid coding scheme requires transmission of slightly fewer data. Data-expansion factor reduced from 1/3 to 1/12. Schemes for progressive transmission of image data transmitted in sequence of frames in such way coarse version of image reconstructed after receipt of first frame and increasingly refined version of image reconstructed after receipt of each subsequent frame.

Cheung, Kar-Ming↗

Engineering planetary lasers for interstellar communication

Transmitting large amounts of data efficiently among neighboring stars will vitally support any eventual contact with extrasolar intelligence, whether alien or human. Laser carriers are particularly suitable for high-quality, targeted links. Space laser transmitter systems designed by this work, based on both demonstrated and imminent advanced space technology, could achieve reliable data transfer rates as high as 1 kb/s to matched receivers as far away as 25 pc, a distance including over 700 approximately solar-type stars. The centerpiece of this demonstration study is a fleet of automated spacecraft incorporating adaptive neural-net optical processing active structures, nuclear electric power plants, annular momentum control devices, and ion propulsion. Together the craft sustain, condition, modulate, and direct to stellar targets an infrared laser beam extracted from the natural mesospheric, solar-pumped, stimulated CO2 emission recently discovered at Venus. For a culture already supported by mature interplanetary industry, the cost of building planetary or high-power space laser systems for interstellar communication would be marginal, making such projects relevant for the next human century. Links using high-power lasers might support data transfer rates as high as optical frequencies could ever allow. A nanotechnological society such as we might become would inevitably use 10 to the 20th power b/yr transmission to promote its own evolutionary expansion out of the galaxy.

Sherwood, Brent↗

Multiple eigenvalues of sound-absorbing circular and annular ducts

Eigenvalue equations of the form D(lambda) = 0 are studied for acoustic modes in circular and annular ducts without flow. The ducts have locally reacting walls with arbitrary wall admittance. It is shown that circular ducts may have double eigenvalues, or wall admittances where both D(lambda) and D prime (lambda) are zero. These double eigenvalues are formed by the coalescence of the lowest-order eigenfunction with some higher-order eigenfunction. The eigenfunctions, or acoustic modes, associated with the double eigenvalues are found to be orthogonal to themselves so that the standard expansion formula for the acoustic field, which is obtained from a separation-of-variables analysis, is invalid. An alternate expansion formula for the acoustic field is derived. This alternate formula shows that the coalesced acoustic mode is linearly amplified by the transmission distance and exponentially attenuated at the expected rate. The expansion formula also reveals a new eigenfunction, or acoustic mode, which is exponentially attenuated at the same rate as the coalesced eigenfunction.

Zorumski, W. E.↗

Vector diffraction analysis of reflector antennas with mesh surfaces

Reflector antennas with mesh surfaces are used extensively in many satellite and ground antenna systems. A strip-aperture modeling of commonly used mesh surfaces is presented which provides considerable versatility in characterizing the mesh cells. The mesh transmission coefficients are constructed using a Floquet-modal expansion in conjuction with two dominant aperture modes. To account for the mesh local coordinates, the Eulerian angle transformation is invoked to obtain the total induced current on the curved reflector surface. General formulas are presented to show how the solid surface induced current is modified due to the transmission through the mesh. The effects of a variety of mesh configurations on both the co-polar and cross-polar patterns of reflector antennas are studied by numerically evaluating the vector diffraction integral using the Jacobi-Bessel expansion. For some special cases, a comparison is made with the results of the commonly used wire-grid formulation. Many of the numerical data are tailored to the dimensions of a conceptually designed mesh deployable offset reflector of the land mobile satellite system (LMSS).

Rahmat-Samii, Y.↗

Transmission of sound in ducts with thin shear layers - Convergence to the uniform flow case.

The problem of the transmission of sound in a duct with very thin shear layers at the walls is treated by an inner expansion method. The results show that the formulation of the problem of the transmission of sound in a duct with a shear layer at the wall converges, in the case of a vanishingly thin shear layer, to the formulation of the same problem when uniform flow is assumed and the wall boundary condition is that of continuity of particle displacement.

Eversman, W.↗

Polarization aberrations in optical systems

This paper examines the polarization aberrations in optical systems of isotropic radially symmetric weak polarizers in the paraxial approximation. Optical systems which fit this description are composed of uncoated and coated lenses and mirrors. Polarization aberrations are variations in phase, amplitude, and polarization state of the electromagnetic field across the exit pupil. Some are dependent on the incident polarization state and some are not. Expressions through fourth order for phase, amplitude, linear polarization, and linear retardance aberrations are derived in terms of the chief and marginal ray angles of incidence and Taylor series expansion coefficients of the Fresnel equations for reflection and transmission at interfaces.

Mcguire, James P., Jr.↗

Further Experiments on the Flow and Heat Transfer in a Heated Turbulent Air Jet

Measurements have been made of the mean total-head and temperature fields in a round turbulent jet with various initial temperatures. The results show that the jet spreads more rapidly as its density becomes lower than that of the receiving medium, even when the difference is not sufficiently great to cause measurable deviations from the constant-density, dimensionless, dynamic-pressure profile function. Rough analytical considerations have given the same relative spread. The effective "turbulent Prandtl number" for a section of the fully developed jet was found to be equal to the true (laminar) Prandtl number within the accuracy of measurement. (author)

FLOW - JETS↗

A High Voltage Tethered Power System for Planetary Surface Applications

In the pursuit of human and robotic expansion of theLunar surface and other planetary bodies, power conversionand transmission over long distances has emerged as a distinctneed. The ability to transmit power over kilometers at highefficiency enables human settlement, in-situ resource utilization,and extreme terrain robotic exploration, through the ability toreach previously unreachable places. The critical buildingblocks of such a system are being developed by the TetheredPower System for Lunar Mobility and Power Transmission(TYMPO) project, a NASA project aimed at reaching flightreadiness by 2024. This paper presents an architectural andrequirements overview of the TYMPO project, along withtechnology discussions on the GaN-based multilevel DCXconverters, dual fiber optics and power-line communicationssystem, and high-voltage tether. Finally, a set of proposed futuremissions will be presented, mapping the capabilities of theTYMPO system to missions that may soon explore planetarysurfaces throughout the solar system.

Yang, Summer↗

Wave propagation through a random medium - The random slab problem

The first-order smoothing approximation yields integral equations for the mean and the two-point correlation function of a wave in a random medium. A method is presented for the approximate solution of these equations that combines features of the eiconal approximation and of the Born expansion. This method is applied to the problem of reflection and transmission of a plane wave by a slab of a random medium. Both the mean wave and the covariance are calculated to determine the reflected and transmitted amplitudes and intensities.

Acquista, C.↗

Simulation of Thermographic Responses of Delaminations in Composites with Quadrupole Method

The application of the quadrupole method for simulating thermal responses of delaminations in carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites materials is presented. The method solves for the flux at the interface containing the delamination. From the interface flux, the temperature at the surface is calculated. While the results presented are for single sided measurements, with ash heating, expansion of the technique to arbitrary temporal flux heating or through transmission measurements is simple. The quadrupole method is shown to have two distinct advantages relative to finite element or finite difference techniques. First, it is straight forward to incorporate arbitrary shaped delaminations into the simulation. Second, the quadrupole method enables calculation of the thermal response at only the times of interest. This, combined with a significant reduction in the number of degrees of freedom for the same simulation quality, results in a reduction of the computation time by at least an order of magnitude. Therefore, it is a more viable technique for model based inversion of thermographic data. Results for simulations of delaminations in composites are presented and compared to measurements and finite element method results.

Winfree, William P.↗

Development of Laser Beam Transmission Strategies for Future Ground-to-Space Optical Communications

Optical communications is a key technology to meet the bandwidth expansion required in the global information grid. High bandwidth bi-directional links between sub-orbital platforms and ground and space terminals can provide a seamless interconnectivity for rapid return of critical data to analysts. The JPL Optical Communications Telescope Laboratory (OCTL) is located in Wrightwood California at an altitude of 2.2.km. This 200 sq-m facility houses a state-of- the-art 1-m telescope and is used to develop operational strategies for ground-to-space laser beam propagation that include safe beam transmission through navigable air space, adaptive optics correction and multi-beam scintillation mitigation, and line of sight optical attenuation monitoring. JPL has received authorization from international satellite owners to transmit laser beams to more than twenty retro-reflecting satellites. This paper presents recent progress in the development of these operational strategies tested by narrow laser beam transmissions from the OCTL to retro-reflecting satellites. We present experimental results and compare our measurements with predicted performance for a variety of atmospheric conditions.

optical communications↗

Thermophysical ESEM and TEM Characterization of Carbon Fibers CTE, Spectroscopy and Roughness Studies at High Temperatures

Accurate determination of the transverse properties of carbon fibers is important for assessment and prediction of local material as well as global structural response of composite components. However the measurements are extremely difficult due to the very small diameters of the fibers (few microns only) and must be conducted within a microscope. In this work, environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) are used to determine the transverse coefficient of thermal expansion of different carbon fibers as a function of temperature.

Ochoa, Ozden O.↗

Feedline dynamic effects on shuttle POGO stability

The transmission parameters for the dynamic characteristics of a feedline were approximated using both power and product series expansions. The feedline transfer functions of a shuttle orbiter feedline configuration were obtained using power and product series approximations of 60th, 120th, 180th, and 240th, order. Bode plots using the above polynomial approximations were obtained and the results compared with the exact solution. The exact solution to the feedline transfer function was obtained by using the transcendental terms appearing in the transmission parameters. The results show that the shuttle orbiter feedline may be modeled adequately by using polynomial approximations for the transcendental functions appearing in the transmission parameters. The power series approach was shown to be preferable to the product series method.

Dimaggio, O. D.↗

Glass formation, properties, and structure of soda-yttria-silicate glasses

The glass formation region of the soda yttria silicate system was determined. The glasses within this region were measured to have a density of 2.4 to 3.1 g/cu cm, a refractive index of 1.50 to 1.60, a coefficient of thermal expansion of 7 x 10(exp -6)/C, softening temperatures between 500 and 780 C, and Vickers hardness values of 3.7 to 5.8 GPa. Aqueous chemical durability measurements were made on select glass compositions while infrared transmission spectra were used to study the glass structure and its effect on glass properties. A compositional region was identified which exhibited high thermal expansion, high softening temperatures, and good chemical durability.

Angel, Paul W.↗

Glass formation, properties and structure of soda-yttria-silica glasses

The glass formation region of the soda yttria silicate system was determined. The glasses within this region were measured to have a density of 2.4 to 3.1 g/cu cm, a refractive index of 1.50 to 1.60, a coefficient of thermal expansion of 7 x 10(exp -6)/C, softening temperatures between 500 and 780 C, and Vickers hardness values of 3.7 to 5.8 GPa. Aqueous chemical durability measurements were made on select glass compositions while infrared transmission spectra were used to study the glass structure and its effect on glass properties. A compositional region was identified which exhibited high thermal expansion, high softening temperatures, and good chemical durability.

Angel, Paul W.↗

Noise suppression characteristics of peripherally segmented duct liners

The acoustic fields and transmission losses produced in semi-infinite circular ducts with peripherally segmented liners are analyzed using a series expansion of hard-wall duct modes. The coefficients of the series are computed using Galerkin's method. Unlike finite element approaches, this analysis includes the effects of realistic sources and the number of peripheral strips need not be small. It is shown that peripherally segmented liners redistribute the acoustic energy in waves composed of only a single circumferential mode at the source into other waves which contain a multitude of circumferential modes in the lined section. The accuracy of eigenfunctions computed from the analysis was observed to increase as either the frequency or radial mode order increased. The transmission losses were found to be accurate at frequencies above the cut-on value of the first-order radial mode in a hard-wall duct. The results show that for plane wave sources, peripherally segmented liners may attenuate as much sound as an optimized uniform liner at the optimal point while giving more noise suppression at most other frequencies.

Watson, W. R.↗