Engineering topics

Venable, D. D.

Publications and source records attributed to Venable, D. D..

12 records

NASA NTRS2009

Water Vapor Measurements by Howard University Raman Lidar during the WAVES 2006 Campaign

Retrieval of water vapor mixing ratio using the Howard University Raman Lidar is presented with emphasis on three aspects: i) performance of the lidar against collocated radiosondes and Raman lidar, ii) investigation of the atmospheric state variables when poor agreement between lidar and radiosondes values occurred and iii) a comparison with satellite-based measurements. The measurements were acquired during the Water Vapor Validation Experiment Sondes/Satellites 2006 field campaign. Ensemble averaging of water vapor mixing ratio data from ten night-time comparisons with Vaisala RS92 radiosondes shows on average an agreement within 10 % up to approx. 8 km. A similar analysis of lidar-to-lidar data of over 700 profiles revealed an agreement to within 20 % over the first 7 km (10 % below 4 km). A grid analysis, defined in the temperature - relative humidity space, was developed to characterize the lidar - radiosonde agreement and quantitatively localizes regions of strong and weak correlations as a function of altitude, temperature or relative humidity. Three main regions of weak correlation emerge: i) regions of low relative humidity and low temperature, ii) moderate relative humidity at low temperatures and iii) low relative humidity at moderate temperatures. Comparison of Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder and Tropospheric Emission Sounder satellites retrievals of moisture with that of Howard University Raman Lidar showed a general agreement in the trend but the formers miss a lot of the details in atmospheric structure due to their low resolution. A relative difference of about 20 % is usually found between lidar and satellites measurements.

Adam, M.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Spaceborne Photonics Institute

This report describes in chronological detail the development of the Spaceborne Photonics Institute as a sustained research effort at Hampton University in the area of optical physics. This provided the research expertise to initiate a PhD program in Physics. Research was carried out in the areas of: (1) modelling of spaceborne solid state laser systems; (2) amplified spontaneous emission in solar pumped iodine lasers; (3) closely simulated AM0 CW solar pumped iodine laser and repeatedly short pulsed iodine laser oscillator; (4) a materials spectroscopy and growth program; and (5) laser induced fluorescence and atomic and molecular spectroscopy.

Venable, D. D.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Plasma-puff initiation of high Coulomb transfer switches

The plasma-puff triggering mechanism based on a hypocycloidal pinch geometry was investigated to determine the optimal operating conditions for an azimuthally uniform surface flashover which initiates plasma-puff under wide ranges of fill gas pressures of Ar, He and N2. The optimal fill gas pressures for the azimuthally uniform plasma-puff were about 120 mTorr less than P(opt) less than 450 Torr for He and N2. For Argon 120 mTorr less than P(opt) less than 5 Torr for argon. The inverse pinch switch was triggered with the plasma-puff and the switching capability under various electrical parameters and working gas pressures of Ar, He and N2 was determined. It was also shown that the azimuthally uniform switching discharges were dependent on the type of fill gas and its fill pressure. A new concept of plasma-focus driven plasma-puff was also discussed in comparison with hypocycloidal pinch plasma-puff triggering. The main discharge of the inverse pinch switch with the plasma-focus driven plasma-puff trigger is found to be more azimuthally uniform than that with the hypocycloidal pinch plasma-puff trigger in a gas pressure region between 80 mTorr and 1 Torr. In order to assess the effects of plasma current density on material erosion of electrodes, emissions from both an inverse-pinch plasma switch (INPIStron) and from a spark gap switch under test were studied with an optical multichannel analyzer (OMA). The color temperature of the argon plasma was approximately 4,000 K which corresponded with the peak continuum emission near 750 nm. There are the strong line emissions of argon in the 650 - 800 nm range and a lack of line emissions of copper and other solid material used in the switch. This indicates that the plasma current density during closing is low and the hot spot or hot filament in the switch is negligible. This result also indicates considerable reduction of line emission with the INPIStron switch over that of a spark-gap switch. However, a strong carbon line emission exists due to vaporization of the plastic insulator used. In order to reduce the vaporization of the insulator, the plexiglass insulating material of INPIStron was replaced with Z-9 material. A comparative study of the INPIStron and a spark gap also reveals that the INPIStron, with a low impedance of Z equals 9 ohms, can transfer a high voltage pulse with a superior pulse-shape fidelity over that of a spark gap with Z equals 100 ohms.

Venable, D. D.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Plasma puff initiation of high Coulomb transfer switches

The plasma-puff triggering mechanism based on a hypocycloidal pinch geometry was investigated to determine the optimal operating conditions for the azimuthally uniform surface flashover which initiates plasma-puff under wide range of fill gas pressure of Ar, He and N2. The optimal fill gas pressure for the azimuthally uniform plasma-puff was about 120 mTorr and 450 Torr for He and N2, and between 120 mTorr and 5 Torr for Ar. The inverse pinch switch was triggered with the plasma-puff and the switching capability under various electrical parameters and working gas pressures of Ar, He and N2 was determined. It was also shown that the azimuthally uniform switching discharges were dependent on the type of fill gas and its fill pressure. A new concept of plasma-focus driven plasma-puff was also discussed in comparison with the hypocycloidal pinch plasma-puff triggering. The main discharge of inverse pinch switch with plasma-focus driven plasma-puff trigger is found to be more azimuthally uniform than that with hypocycloidal pinch plasma-puff trigger in a gas pressure region between 80 mTorr and 1 Torr.

Venable, D. D.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Effects of cosmic rays on single event upsets

Assistance was provided to the Brookhaven Single Event Upset (SEU) Test Facility. Computer codes were developed for fragmentation and secondary radiation affecting Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) in space. A computer controlled CV (HP4192) test was developed for Terman analysis. Also developed were high speed parametric tests which are independent of operator judgment and a charge pumping technique for measurement of D(sub it) (E). The X-ray secondary effects, and parametric degradation as a function of dose rate were simulated. The SPICE simulation of static RAMs with various resistor filters was tested.

Venable, D. D.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Effects of multiple scattering on time- and depth-resolved signals in airborne lidar systems

A semianalytic Monte Carlo radiative transfer model (SALMON) is employed to probe the effects of multiple-scattering events on the time- and depth-resolved lidar signals from homogeneous aqueous media. The effective total attenuation coefficients in the single-scattering approximation are determined as functions of dimensionless parameters characterizing the lidar system and the medium. Results show that single-scattering events dominate when these parameters are close to their lower bounds and that when their values exceed unity multiple-scattering events dominate.

Punjabi, A.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Simulated laser fluorosensor signals from subsurface chlorophyll distributions

A semianalytic Monte Carlo model has been used to simulate laser fluorosensor signals returned from subsurface distributions of chlorophyll. This study assumes the only constituent of the ocean medium is the common coastal zone dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum. The concentration is represented by Gaussian distributions in which the location of the distribution maximum and the standard deviation are variable. Most of the qualitative features observed in the fluorescence signal for total chlorophyll concentrations up to 1.0 microg/liter can be accounted for with a simple analytic solution assuming a rectangular chlorophyll distribution function.

Venable, D. D.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Sensitivity of airborne fluorosensor measurements to linear vertical gradients in chlorophyll concentration

A semianalytic Monte Carlo radiative transfer simulation model for airborne laser fluorosensors has been extended to investigate the effects of inhomogeneities in the vertical distribution of phytoplankton concentrations in clear seawater. Simulation results for linearly varying step concentrations of chlorophyll are presented. The results indicate that statistically significant differences can be seen under certain conditions in the water Raman-normalized fluorescence signals between nonhomogeneous and homogeneous cases. A statistical test has been used to establish ranges of surface concentrations and/or verticl gradients in which calibration by surface samples would by inappropriate, and the results are discussed.

Venable, D. D.↗

NASA NTRS1983

A radiative transfer model for remote sensing of laser induced fluorescence of phytoplankton in non-homogeneous turbid water

A semi-analytic Monte Carlo simulation methodology (SALMON) was discussed. This simulation technique is particularly well suited for addressing fundamental radiative transfer problems in oceanographic LIDAR (optical radar), and also provides a framework for investigating the effects of environmental factors on LIDAR system performance. The simulation model was extended for airborne laser fluorosensors to allow for inhomogeneities in the vertical distribution of constituents in clear sea water. Results of the simulations for linearly varying step concentrations of chlorophyll are presented. The SALMON technique was also employed to determine how the LIDAR signals from an inhomogeneous media differ from those from homogeneous media.

Venable, D. D.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Local effects of partly-cloudy skies on solar and emitted radiation

A computer automated data acquisition system for atmospheric emittance, and global solar, downwelled diffuse solar, and direct solar irradiances is discussed. Hourly-integrated global solar and atmospheric emitted radiances were measured continuously from February 1981 and hourly-integrated diffuse solar and direct solar irradiances were measured continuously from October 1981. One-minute integrated data are available for each of these components from February 1982. The results of the correlation of global insolation with fractional cloud cover for the first year's data set. A February data set, composed of one-minute integrated global insolation and direct solar irradiance, cloud cover fractions, meteorological data from nearby weather stations, and GOES East satellite radiometric data, was collected to test the theoretical model of satellite radiometric data correlation and develop the cloud dependence for the local measurement site.

Whitney, D. A.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Local effects of partly cloudy skies on solar and emitted radiations

Solar radiation measurements are made on a routine basis. Global solar, atmospheric emitted, downwelled diffuse solar, and direct solar radiation measurement systems are fully operational with the first two in continuous operation. Fractional cloud cover measurements are made from GOES imagery or from ground based whole sky photographs. Normalized global solar irradiance values for partly cloudy skies were correlated to fractional cloud cover.

Whitney, D. A.↗

NASA NTRS1980

A radiative transfer model for remote sensing of laser induced fluorescence of phytoplankton in non-homogeneous turbid water

A radiative transfer computer model was developed to characterize the total flux of chlorophyll a fluoresced or backscattered photons when laser radiation is incident on turbid water that contains a non-homogeneous suspension of inorganic sediments and phytoplankton. The radiative transfer model is based on the Monte Carlo technique and assumes that: (1) the aquatic medium can be represented by a stratified concentration profile; and (2) that appropriate optical parameters can be defined for each layer. The model was designed to minimize the required computer resources and run time. Results are presented for an anacystis marinus culture.

Venable, D. D.↗