Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Barber, T. A..
Response to input pulse characterizes state of charge of battery. Instrument electronically measures input and response of forcing-function pulse that periodically modulates charge or discharge current.
Efforts to achieve a 100 mile urban range, to reduce petroleum usage 40% to 70%, and to commercialize battery technology are discussed with emphasis on an all plastic body, four passenger car that is flywheel assisted and battery powered, and on an all metal body, four passenger car with front wheel drive and front motor. For the near term case, a parallel hybrid in which the electric motor and the internal combustion engine may directly power the drive wheels, is preferred to a series design. A five passenger car in which the electric motor and the gasoline engine both feed into the same transmission is discussed. Upgraded demonstration vehicles were tested using advanced lead acid, nickel zinc, nickel iron, and zinc chloride batteries to determine maximum acceleration, constant speed, and battery behavior. The near term batteries demonstrated significant improvement relative to current lead acid batteries. The increase in range was due to improved energy density, and ampere hour capacity, with relatively 1 small weight and volume differences.
Development of a basic set of normalized parameters to represent low-thrust system characteristics. The conditions which must be met to obtain trajectory and performance data which are invariant with the launch vehicle characteristics, the selected power, the specific mass of the low-thrust vehicle, and the efficiency of the ion propulsion system are derived. This normalized representation of mission characteristics frees the analyst from having to rerun the trajectories if any of the aforementioned parameters are varied. Examples pertaining to a low-thrust Jupiter flyby and comet Encke rendezvous are given to demonstrate the utility of the method of presentation.
Spacecraft electric propulsion parameters and launching vehicle characteristics in low thrust mission simulation, discussing spacecraft path
JPL Solar Electric 1975 Jupiter Flyby program designed to minimize risks of introducing prime solar electric propulsion into spacecraft
Low thrust Jupiter flyby mission analysis for interplanetary vehicles with solar electric propulsion
Items affecting information transmitted from payload landed on remote planet to Earth via communications satellite including orbit, transmission policy and orbit injection error effect on communication capability
Advanced planetary missions using direct and relay link data return modes
Direct and relay link communication from Martian surface station
Items affecting information transmitted from payload landed on remote planet to earth via communications satellite including orbit, transmission policy and orbit injection error effect on communication capability