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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 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1975

A strut with infinitely adjustable thermal expansivity and length

A tubular strut with an integral mechanism for adjusting its thermal expansivity and length was developed to fulfill the stringent thermal stability requirements anticipated for the metering truss in the Large Space Telescope. Its features may be advantageously applied to a general variety of structures and precision mechanisms where dimensional control of component elements in a dynamic thermal environment is required. Detail, design, fabrication, and test of a developmental strut are discussed.

Nelson, P. T.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Concept design and alternate arrangements of orbiter mid-deck habitability features

The evaluations and recommendations for habitability features in the space shuttle orbiter mid-deck are summarized. The orbiter mission plans, the mid-deck dimensions and baseline arrangements along with crew compliments and typical activities were defined. Female and male anthropometric data based on zero-g operations were also defined. Evaluations of baseline and alternate feasible concepts provided several recommendations which are discussed.

Church, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Two-stage, low noise advanced technology fan. Volume 2: Aerodynamic data

Aerodynamic data from static tests of a two-stage advanced technology fan designed to minimize noise are presented. Fan design conditions include delivery of 209.1kg/sec/sq m (42.85 lbm/sec/sq ft) specific corrected flow at an overall pressure ratio of 1.9 and an adiabatic efficiency of 85.3 percent. The 0.836m (2.74ft) diameter first stage rotor has a hub/tip ratio of 0.4 and 365.8m/sec (1200ft/sec) design tip speed. In addition to the moderate tip speed and pressure rise per stage, other noise control design features involve widely spaced blade rows and proper selection of blade-vane ratios. Aerodynamic data are presented for tests with unifrom and with hub and tip radially distorted inlet flow. Aerodynamic data are also presented for tests of this fan with acoustic treatments, including acoustically treated casing walls, a flowpath exit acoustic ring, and a translating centerbody sonic inlet device. A complete tabulation of the overall performance data, the blade element data, and the power spectral density information relating to turbulence levels generated by the sonic inlet obtained during these tests is included. For vol. 1, see N74-33789.

Harley, K. G.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Diode laser spectra of CC12F2 near 10.8 microns; air-broadening effects

A tunable diode laser absorption spectrometer with resolution of about 0.0001/cm was used to record air-broadened spectra of CC12F2 in two regions near 922.8/cm and 921.7/cm. In the 922.8/cm region the structure shows good intensity contrast at pressures corresponding to upper atmospheric pressures. The absorption features have a spacing of 0.014/cm, which is sufficiently wide to retain spectral structure at pressures as high as 48 torr or altitudes as low as 19 km. The apparent broadening is 2 MHz/torr. The single-line broadening coefficient for CC12F2 can be estimated to be 8 + or - 2 MHz/torr FWHM. In the 921.7/cm region the high-resolution structure is discernible up to 24 torr, but the intensity contrast is not sufficiently strong to be of use in analysis of stratospheric spectra.

Jennings, D. E.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Planetary geodetic control using satellite imaging

A new data type for planetary geodetic control using natural satellite imaging is presented. Spacecraft images of natural satellites against the planet give a direct tie between inertial space and surface features surrounding the satellite image. This technique is expected to offer a factor of 3-10 improvement in accuracy over present geodetic reduction for Mars. A specific example using Viking imaging of Phobos against Mars is given.

Duxbury, T. C.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Numerical generation of two-dimensional grids by the use of Poisson equations with grid control at boundaries

A method for generating boundary-fitted, curvilinear, two dimensional grids by the use of the Poisson equations is presented. Grids of C-type and O-type were made about airfoils and other shapes, with circular, rectangular, cascade-type, and other outer boundary shapes. Both viscous and inviscid spacings were used. In all cases, two important types of grid control can be exercised at both inner and outer boundaries. First is arbitrary control of the distances between the boundaries and the adjacent lines of the same coordinate family, i.e., stand-off distances. Second is arbitrary control of the angles with which lines of the opposite coordinate family intersect the boundaries. Thus, both grid cell size (or aspect ratio) and grid cell skewness are controlled at boundaries. Reasonable cell size and shape are ensured even in cases wherein extreme boundary shapes would tend to cause skewness or poorly controlled grid spacing. An inherent feature of the Poisson equations is that lines in the interior of the grid smoothly connect the boundary points (the grid mapping functions are second order differentiable).

Sorenson, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Pioneer 10 spacecraft departs solar system

Accomplishments of the Pioneer 10 space probe are summarized and the information yet to be obtained as it is tracked through interstellar space is described. Features of its journey are discussed.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1983

Use of the Space Shuttle for remote sensing experimentation during the 1980's

Planned and possible future experiments that may be conducted on Space Shuttle missions of the mid and later 1980s are discussed. Remote sensing experiments will be performed on Shuttle missions STS-7, STS-9, STS-11, and STS-17, and will conduct surveys using the Modular Optoelectronic Multispectral Scanner, a multispectral linear array imager; a high-resolution metric photographic camera; the Microwave Remote Sensing experiment, with capabilities for passive and active operation as an X-band radiometer, scatterometer or synthetic aperture radar; the Large Format Camera, a high-resolution photogrammetric camera with forward motion compensation; and the four experiments of the OSTA-3 payload: Shuttle Imaging Radar-B, the Measurement of Air Pollution from Space experiment, the Feature Identification and Location Experiment, and the Large Format Camera. Conceptual plans for experiments that may be conducted in the latter part of the decade include a high spectral resolution imaging sensor, multispectral radar surveys, and multispectral measurements in the thermal infrared.

Settle, M.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Glass processing in a microgravity environment

The basic techniques used in the processing of glasses and crystalline ceramics under terrestrial conditions are briefly reviewed, and the features of the space environment relevant to the processing of glasses are examined. These include reduced gravitational forces, a vacuum of essentially unlimited pumping capacity, unique radiation conditions, and the unlimited dimensions of space. Of these factors, particular attention is given to reduced gravitational forces, and the advantages of containerless processing are discussed. Finally, current programs concerned with glass processing in space are reviewed along with additional areas which merit investigation.

Uhlmann, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Torque command steering law for double-gimbaled control moment gyros applied to rotor energy storage

A steering law is presented which has all the features required for space applications, assuming the CMG outer gimbal freedom is unlimited. The reason is the idea of mounting all the outer gimbal axes of the CMGs parallel to each other. This allows the decomposition of the steering law problem into a linear one for the inner gimbal angle rates and a planar one for the outer gimbal angle rates. The inner gimbal angle rates are calculated first, since they are not affected by the outer gimbal angle rates. For the calculation of the outer rates, the inner rates are then known quantities. An outer gimbal angle distribution function (to avoid singularities internal to the total angular momentum envelope) generates distribution rates next, and finally the pseudoinverse method is used to insure that the desired total torque is delivered.

Kennel, H. F.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Transpression as the main deformational event in an Archaean greenstone belt, northeastern Minnesota

Deformed and metamorphosed sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Vermilion district constitute an Archean greenstone belt trending east-west between higher grade rocks of the Vermilion Granitic Complex to the north and the Giants Range batholith to the south. Metamorphic grade is low throughout, being lowest in the center of the belt (chlorite zone of the greenschist facies). All the measured strain, a cleavage or schistosity, and a mineral lineation in this belt are attributed to the main phase of deformation D sub 2 that followed an earlier nappe-forming event D sub 1, which left little evidence of penetrative fabric. Previous work assumed that the D sub 2 deformation resulted from north-south compression across the district. It is now believed that a significant component of this deformation resulted from dextral shear across the whole region. Thus the Vermilion fault, a late-state largely strike-slip structure that bounds the Vermilion district to the north, may simply be the latest, most brittle expression of a shear regime that was much more widespread in space and time. Features that are indicative of shear include ductile shear zones with sigmoidal foliation patterns, highly schistose zones with the development of shear bands, feldspar clasts or pyrite cubes with asymmetric pressure shadows, and the fact that the asymmetry of the F sub 2 folds is predominantly Z for at least 15 km south of the Vermilion fault.

Hudleston, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Structural dynamics and attitude control study of early manned capability space station configurations

A study was performed to determine the vibration and attitude control characteristics of critical space station configurations featuring early manned capability during buildup from initial user support through the operations capability reference station. Five configurations were selected and were examined thus determining the changes that are likely to occur in the characteristics of the system as the station progresses from a single boom structure to a mature, dual keel, operations capability reference station. Both 9 foot and 5 meter truss bay sizes were investigated. All configurations analyzed were stable; however, the 5 meter truss bay size structure exhibited superior stability characteristics.

Ayers, J. Kirk↗
NASA NTRS1986

Decentralized control experiments on NASA's flexible grid

Methods arising from the area of decentralized control are emerging for analysis and control synthesis for large flexible structures. In this paper the control strategy involves a decentralized model reference adaptive approach using a variable structure control. Local models are formulated based on desired damping and response time in a model-following scheme for various modal configurations. Variable structure controllers are then designed employing co-located angular rate and position feedback. In this scheme local control forces the system to move on a local sliding mode in some local error space. An important feature of this approach is that the local subsystem is made insensitive to dynamical interactions with other subsystems once the sliding surface is reached. Experiments based on the above have been performed for NASA's flexible grid experimental apparatus. The grid is designed to admit appreciable low-frequency structural dynamics, and allows for implementation of distributed computing components, inertial sensors, and actuation devices. A finite-element analysis of the grid provides the model for control system design and simulation; results of several simulations are reported on here, and a discussion of application experiments on the apparatus is presented.

Ozguner, U.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Overview of lunar-based astronomy

The opportunities along with the advantages and disadvantages of the Moon for astronomical observatories are carefully and methodically considered. Taking a relatively unbiased approach, it was concluded that lunar observatories will clearly be a major factor in the future of astronomy in the next century. He concludes that ground based work will continue because of its accessibility and that Earth orbital work will remain useful, primarily for convenience of access in constructing and operating very large space systems. Deep space studies will feature not only probes but extensive systems for extremely long baseline studies at wavelengths from gamma rays through visible and IR out to radio is also a conclusion drawn, along with the consideration that lunar astronomy will have found important permanent applications along lines such as are discussed at the present symposium and others quite unsuspected today.

Smith, Harlan J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Nonlinear evolution of the auroral electron beam

The nonlinear spatial evolution, from the source to the atmosphere, of the auroral electron beam and the beam-generated electrostatic whistler noise was studied, calculating changes in beam parameters from equations for the conservation of total particle and wave energy and momentum flux density. Wave power fluxes were calculated by numerically integrating the wave kinetic equations, and the levels of beam-generated noise were determined by using thermal levels of Cerenkov radiation as a source. It was found that beam parameters evolve on ionospheric scale lengths, and their positive slope feature in velocity space is maintained over altitudes measured in thousands of kilometers of altitude, even though they can generate wave energy density fluxes sufficient to modify the ionospheric density profile.

Maggs, James E.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Robust and real-time control of magnetic bearings for space engines

Currently, NASA Lewis Research Center is developing magnetic bearings for Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) turbopumps. The control algorithms which have been used are based on either the proportional-intergral-derivative control (PID) approach or the linear quadratic (LQ) state space approach. These approaches lead to an acceptable performance only when the system model is accurately known, which is seldom true in practice. For example, the rotor eccentricity, which is a major source of vibration at high speeds, cannot be predicted accurately. Furthermore, the dynamics of a rotor shaft, which must be treated as a flexible system to model the elastic rotor shaft, is infinite dimensional in theory and the controller can only be developed on the basis of a finite number of modes. Therefore, the development of the control system is further complicated by the possibility of closed loop system instability because of residual or uncontrolled modes, the so called spillover problem. Consequently, novel control algorithms for magnetic bearings are being developed to be robust to inevitable parametric uncertainties, external disturbances, spillover phenomenon and noise. Also, as pointed out earlier, magnetic bearings must exhibit good performance at a speed over 30,000 rpm. This implies that the sampling period available for the design of a digital control system has to be of the order of 0.5 milli-seconds. Therefore, feedback coefficients and other required controller parameters have to be computed off-line so that the on-line computational burden is extremely small. The development of the robust and real-time control algorithms is based on the sliding mode control theory. In this method, a dynamic system is made to move along a manifold of sliding hyperplanes to the origin of the state space. The number of sliding hyperplanes equals that of actuators. The sliding mode controller has two parts; linear state feedback and nonlinear terms. The nonlinear terms guarantee that the systems would reach the intersection of all sliding hyperplanes and remain on it when bounds on the errors in the system parameters and external disturbances are known. The linear part of the control drives the system to the origin of state space. Another important feature is that the controller parameter can be computed off-line. Consequently, on-line computational burden is small.

Sinha, Alok↗
NASA NTRS1990

Ulysses - An investigation of the polar regions of the heliosphere

This paper describes the Ulysses mission, a cooperative NASA/ESA mission for exploring the heliosphere within 1 to 2 AU of the sun. The nine instruments of the Ulysses spacecraft will collect information continuously, recording and compressing data for a playback through NASA's Deep Space Network. Prominent features of the Ulysses include the 1.65-m parabolic high-gain antenna pointing continuously toward earth, which will provide the earth-to-spacecraft communications link; the Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator; and the 5.5-m radial boom which will provide an electromagnetically clean environment for certain experiments. Individual studies will include investigations of solar-wind plasma, solar-wind ion composition, cosmic dust, magnetic field, solar X-rays/cosmic gamma ray bursts, energetic-particle composition, low energy ions and electrons, cosmic rays/solar particles, radio and plasma waves, coronal plasma sounding, and gravitational waves.

Meeks, Willis G.↗