Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Ruitberg, A. P..
Arcing and field-included surface erosion reduced by electrostatic shields around windings and ferromagnetic core of 80-kilovolt isolation transformer. Fabricated from high-resistivity polyurethane-based material brushed on critical surfaces, shields maintained at approximately half potential difference of windings.
A high voltage power supply is formed by three discrete circuits energized by a battery to provide a plurality of concurrent output signals floating at a high output voltage on the order of several tens of kilovolts. In the first two circuits, the regulator stages are pulse width modulated and include adjustable ressistances for varying the duty cycles of pulse trains provided to corresponding oscillator stages while the third regulator stage includes an adjustable resistance for varying the amplitude of a steady signal provided to a third oscillator stage. In the first circuit, the oscillator, formed by a constant current drive network and a tuned resonant network included a step up transformer, is coupled to a second step up transformer which, in turn, supplies an amplified sinusoidal signal to a parallel pair of complementary poled rectifying, voltage multiplier stages to generate the high output voltage.
A high voltage isolation transformer is provided with primary and secondary coils separated by discrete electrostatic shields from the surfaces of insulating spools on which the coils are wound. The electrostatic shields are formed by coatings of a compound with a low electrical conductivity which completely encase the coils and adhere to the surfaces of the insulating spools adjacent to the coils. Coatings of the compound also line axial bores of the spools, thereby forming electrostatic shields separating the spools from legs of a ferromagnetic core extending through the bores. The transformer is able to isolate a high constant potential applied to one of its coils, without the occurrence of sparking or corona, by coupling the coatings, lining the axial bores to the ferromagnetic core and by coupling one terminal of each coil to the respective coating encasing the coil.
A small, battery-operated X-ray generator has been developed to be used as part of a small-format fluoroscopic system, the Lixiscope (Low Intensity X-ray Imaging Scope). The X-ray generator consists of a grounded rod-anode X-ray tube with a 0.2 mm focal spot and a specially designed, battery-operated, 0 to -80 kV high-voltge supply. Total power consumption is about 10 W. The fine focal spot, in conjunction with the continuously variable X-ray intensity and spectral distribution, helps to extend both the versatility and the performance of the Lixiscope toward a much wider range of terrestrial and spacecraft applications. The complete fluoroscopic system is described, and some examples of possible applications are shown.
The launches of the International Sun-Earth Explorers in October 1977 (ISEE-A) and August 1978 (ISEE-C) marked the first successful implementation of an electrostatically clean spacecraft design on a US-built satellite. The power subsystem design selected was required to operate without induced or coupled electromagnetic interference while meeting the criteria of low cost, low weight (with the resulting removal of almost all redundancy), modular construction techniques, long life (more than 3 years), and maximum utilization of previously qualified/flown designs. To save money, both the ISEE-A and -C power subsystem designs had to be identical even though the two missions are flown in vastly different orbits. Additionally, the requirement for a three year mission utilizing a single silver-cadmium battery had never been imposed before. A power subsystem configuration which met all of the specified requirements was developed. Excellent correlation between preflight and actual flight performance is demonstrated.
AUTOTEST is a large scale real-time computer program designed to automatically test spacecraft and experiments. Resident portions of the program collect and store incoming real-time data and process test control instructions which control experiment turn-on, select tests to be performed, and select data to be displayed.