Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Brown, M. J..
An overview is presented of GEC Avionics activities relating to the Spaceborne Doppler Wind Lidar. In particular, the results of design studies into the use of an e-beam sustained CO2 laser for spaceborne applications, and experimental work on a test bed system are discussed.
The design features of an e-beam sustained CO2 amplifier are described. The amplifier is designed specifically as a catalyst test-bed to study the performance of room temperature precious metal CO-oxidation catalysts under e-beam sustained operation. The amplifier has been designed to provide pulse durations of 30 microseconds in a discharge volume of 2 litres. With a gas flow velocity of 2 metres per second, operation at repetition rates of 10 Hz is accommodated. The system is designed for sealed-off operation and a catalyst bed is housed in the gas circulation system downstream from the discharge region. CO and oxygen monitors are used for diagnosis of gas composition in the amplifier so that catalyst performance can be monitored in situ during sealed lifetests.
An active flight experiment is described that has the objectives to determine the effects of the low earth natural environment and the Shuttle induced environment on selected thermal control and optical surfaces. The optical and thermal properties of test samples will be measured in-situ using an integrating sphere reflectrometer and using calorimetric methods. This experiment has been selected for the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) flight which will be carried to orbit by the NASA Space Shuttle. The LDEF will remain in orbit to be picked up by a later Shuttle mission and returned for postflight evaluation.
Degradation of multiplier phototubes exposed to spatial radiations
Optical characteristics and spectral irradiance of three solar simulation lamps