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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1975

The Viking Mars Orbiter 1975 solar energy controller

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is responsible for the Viking Orbiter System, which is part of the overall Viking Project managed by the Viking Project Office at Langley Research Center for NASA. The spacecraft will be launched on a Titan IIIE/-Centaur Launch Vehicle in August 1975. Solar energy for temperature control purposes is introduced into the propulsion module of the Orbiter. The energy enters by way of four individually commandable solar energy controllers (SECs). This paper summarizes the SEC thermal development, design and test results. Test results are presented for the prototype unit and for the flight units.

Stultz, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Harnessing surface plasmons for solar energy conversion

NASA research on the feasibility of solar-energy conversion using surface plasmons is reviewed, with a focus on inelastic-tunnel-diode techniques for power extraction. The need for more efficient solar converters for planned space missions is indicated, and it is shown that a device with 50-percent efficiency could cost up to 40 times as much per sq cm as current Si cells and still be competitive. The parallel-processing approach using broadband carriers and tunable diodes is explained, and the physics of surface plasmons on metal surfaces is outlined. Technical problems being addressed include phase-matching sunlight to surface plasmons, minimizing ohmic losses and reradiation in energy transport, coupling into the tunnels by mode conversion, and gaining an understanding of the tunnel-diode energy-conversion process. Diagrams illustrating the design concepts are provided.

Anderson, L. M.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Insolation data for solar energy conversion derived from satellite measurements of earth radiance

Detailed knowledge of the irradiance of the sun at ground locations is essential for the design and evaluation of solar energy conversion systems. The primary source of such data is the global network of weather stations. Such stations are often too far apart and for most locations the data available are only daily total irradiance or monthly averages. Solar energy conversion programs require insolation data with considerably higher geographical and temporal resolution. Meteorological satellites gather routinely extensive data on the energy reflected and scattered into space by the earth-atmosphere system. A program has been initiated to use such data for deriving ground insolation for energy conversion. Some of the preliminary results of this program will be discussed.

Thekaekara, M. P.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Collection and concentration of solar energy using Fresnel type lenses

The efficiency of collecting solar energy using a Fresnel type lens was measured for two different collectors. A flow collector utilizes the temperature difference and heat capacity in water measurements to determine the amount of absorbed energy retained from sun rays passing through the Fresnel lens. A static collector is a hollow copper box filled with vegetable heating oil for absorption of focused solar radiation.

Wilson, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Solar energy

The book opens with a review of the patterns of energy use and resources in the United States, and an exploration of the potential of solar energy to supply some of this energy in the future. This is followed by background material on solar geometry, solar intensities, flat plate collectors, and economics. Detailed attention is then given to a variety of solar units and systems, including domestic hot water systems, space heating systems, solar-assisted heat pumps, intermediate temperature collectors, space heating/cooling systems, concentrating collectors for high temperatures, storage systems, and solar total energy systems. Finally, rights to solar access are discussed.

Rapp, D.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Solar energy retrofit for Clarksville Middle School, Clarksville, Indiana

The solar energy retrofit heating system installed to provide heating for two gymnasiums at the Clarksville Middle School located in Clarksville, Indiana is described in detail. The system type is hot water using existing chilled water piping and chilled water coils in an air handler system. Flat plate, single-glazed selectively coated solar collectors were installed on the roof of each gymnasium. Total collector area covers 6,520 square feet. The liquid is stored in a 10,000 gallon steel tank installed below grade.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1991

The High Energy Solar Physics mission (HESP): Scientific objectives and technical description

The High Energy Solar Physics mission offers the opportunity for major breakthroughs in the understanding of the fundamental energy release and particle acceleration processes at the core of the solar flare problem. The following subject areas are covered: the scientific objectives of HESP; what we can expect from the HESP observations; the high energy imaging spectrometer (HEISPEC); the HESP spacecraft; and budget and schedule.

Crannell, Carol↗
NASA NTRS1978

Voice-output solar energy reporter

Reporter combines commercially available equipment to sense solar energy and measure instantaneous intensity and accumulated energy at remote site. Data are encoded in voice form and stored for retrieval at any time by commercial telephone.

Detterman, B. L.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Solar Energy Economics Revisited: The Promise and Challenge of Orbiting Reflectors for World Energy Supply

A system of orbiting, large-area, low mass density reflector satellites which provide nearly continuous solar energy to a world-distributed set of conversion sites is examined under the criteria for any potential new energy system: technical feasibility, significant and renewable energy impact, economic feasibility and social/political acceptability. Although many technical issues need further study, reasonable advances in space technology appear sufficient to implement the system. The enhanced insolation is shown to greatly improve the economic competitiveness of solar-electric generation to circa 1995 fossil/nuclear alternatives. The system is shown to have the potential for supplying a significant fraction of future domestic and world energy needs. Finally, the environmental and social issues, including a means for financing such a large shift to a world solar energy dependence, is addressed.

Billman, Kenneth W.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Wind Conditions for Solar Energy Facility Design Based on Field Measurements at Nevada Solar One

This study characterises near-surface wind conditions at the Nevada Solar One (NSO) concentrated solar power plant using two years of measurements from a 15-m mast located 30 m west of the solar arrays. The surrounding terrain is fairly flat within 3 km, but nearby solar photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) installations introduce strong directional wind inhomogeneity, which motivates a sector-based analysis that distinguishes undisturbed inflow from waked flow. The analysis uses data from three sonic anemometers to assess whether turbulence in the surface layer can be represented as Gaussian and whether standard surface-layer scaling remains valid below 10 m height. The roughness length and displacement height are estimated for twelve directional sectors under near-neutral wind conditions, and all three velocity components show departures from Gaussian behaviour. Spectral analysis indicates that the turbulence contains low-frequency fluctuations with amplitudes higher than those predicted by standard models such as the Kaimal model or the Simiu and Scanlan model. The study introduces a new turbulence spectral model based on the eddy-surface-layer framework to better represent near-surface wind turbulence. The analysis further quantifies the influence of the surrounding power plants on mean wind profiles, one-point spectra, and vertical coherence for all velocity components. The solar collector arrays located 30 m east of the mast significantly modify the turbulence structure, whereas PV installations situated a few hundred metres away have only a limited influence on the turbulence measured at the mast. These findings highlight the limitations of conventional turbulence models for near-surface wind over solar infrastructure and provide improved parameterisations to support the structural design. The implications for the structural response of parabolic troughs and PV modules to such turbulence remain uncertain and require further investigation.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗