Engineering topics

Purgold, G. C.

Publications and source records attributed to Purgold, G. C..

7 records

NASA NTRS1993

Solid propellant exhausted aluminum oxide and hydrogen chloride - Environmental considerations

Measurements of gaseous hydrogen chloride (HCl) and particulate aluminum oxide (Al2O3) were made during penetrations of five Space Shuttle exhaust clouds and one static ground test firing of a shuttle booster. Instrumented aircraft were used to penetrate exhaust clouds and to measure and/or collect samples of exhaust for subsequent analyses. The focus was on the primary solid rocket motor exhaust products, HCl and Al2O3, from the Space Shuttle's solid boosters. Time-dependent behavior of HCl was determined for the exhaust clouds. Composition, morphology, surface chemistry, and particle size distributions were determined for the exhausted Al2O3. Results determined for the exhaust cloud from the static test firing were complicated by having large amounts of entrained alkaline ground debris (soil) in the lofted cloud. The entrained debris may have contributed to neutralization of in-cloud HCl.

Cofer, W. R., III↗

NASA NTRS1991

Space Shuttle exhausted aluminum oxide - A measured particle size distribution

Aluminum oxide (A2O3) particles were collected from the Space Shuttle exhaust plume immediately following the launch of STS-34 on October 18, 1989. A2O3 samples were obtained at 2.4, 3.0, 3.2, and 7.4 km in altitude. The samples were analyzed using SEM to develope particle size distributions. There were no indications that the particle size distribution changed as a function of altitude. The particle number concentrations per cubic meter of air sampled for the four collections was found to fit an exponential expression.

Cofer, W. R., III↗

NASA NTRS1990

A system for recording physical properties of clouds

Characterization of the physical properties of clouds is an important objective of the FIRE Project intensive field operations (IFO) planned for 1990 thru 1992. Physical properties observed from satellites will be directly compared to ground based observations during this period. The technical information is provided which is required to record local cloud parameters such as type of clouds, direction of travel, layering, and cloud fraction data. Such information should be very useful in analyzing other cloud and meteorological data. A system of the type described was deployed as part of the First Global Surface Radiation Budget Experiment in April 1989.

Purgold, G. C.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Automated analyzer for aircraft measurements of atmospheric methane and total hydrocarbons

An automated methane/total hydrocarbon analyzer is presented, which can produce alternate methane/total hydrocarbon measurements every 7 seconds to provide the spatial resolution required for regional hydrocarbon measurements at aircraft speeds. The construction and sampling techniques developed for the aircraft mounted system are discussed. A technique to periodically measure atmosphere oxygen is incorporated into the analyzer to ensure accurate hydrocarbon measurements, and a data collection methodology is developed to minimize errors resulting from changes in flame ionization detector sensitivity at different altitudes. Aircraft data acquired at the 1979 Southeastern Virginia Urban Plume Study are also presented, which illustrate the application of the instrument to a troposphere pollution plume.

Cofer, W. R., III↗

NASA NTRS1981

Summary of measurement results of ozone, methane, and nonmethane hydrocarbons for C-54 aircraft. 1979 Southeastern Virginia Urban Plume Study

Methane, nonmethane hydrocarbon, and ozone data collected in a C-54 aircraft during the 1979 Southeastern Virginia Urban Plume Study are presented. Three major aircraft experiments were flown on five separate days in August collecting 20 hours of flight data. Direct correlation between ozone and hydrocarbon plumes was observed on several occasions.

Cofer, W. R., III↗

NASA NTRS1981

Automated syringe sampler

A number of sampling services are disposed in a rack which slides into a housing. In response to a signal from an antenna, the circutry elements are activated which provide power individually, collectively, or selectively to a servomechanism thereby moving an actuator arm and the attached jawed bracket supporting an evaculated tube towards a stationary needle. One open end of the needle extends through the side wall of a conduit to the interior and the other open end is maintained within the protective sleeve, supported by a bifurcated bracket. A septum in punctured by the end of the needle within the sleeve and a sample of the fluid medium in the conduit flows through the needle and is transferred to a tube. The signal to the servo is then reversed and the actuator arm moves the tube back to its original position permitting the septum to expand and seal the hole made by the needle. The jawed bracket is attached by pivot to the actuator to facilitate tube replacement.

Purgold, G. C.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Automated syringe sampler

Device is designed primarily for remotely collecting field samples of water or air from polluted sources or from tracer gases used to track such sources over long distances.

Purgold, G. C.↗