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At least 235 records · Page 13

Collection of Human Wastes on Long Missions

Report evaluates and compares three alternative approaches to hygienic containment of human wastes. Three practical means of waste collection: filter-bag collection with compaction by fan suction, canister collection with compaction by force applied to compaction cups or disks, and sleeve collection with compaction by rollers and winding on reel. Potentially useful in airplanes, buses, boats, trains, and campers and temporary toilets for construction sites and outdoor gatherings.

Jennings, D. C.↗

Containerless high purity pulling process and apparatus for glass fiber

Apparatus and method for pulling optical glass fibers in a containerless environment is disclosed which includes a single axis acoustical levitation furnace in which a specimen is levitated and melted. A reflector unit is carried in the interior of the furnace and includes a reflector disposed centrally about the acoustical axis of the levitator. The reflector unit includes a circular shroud of insulation and a copper sleeve inserted in the unit which is hollow at for receiving a cooling medium. A fiber pulling bore is formed centrally in the reflector unit surrounded by cooling jacket to enhance solidification and formation of a fiber. A starting fiber strand is introduced into the melt and pulled outwardly through bore whereby the specimen fiber is started and formed as pulled therethrough. In order to replenish the melt and thus enable a continous process, a movable secondary reflector is provided which captures a supplemental specimen pellet and by movement of the reflector transfers it to the melt.

Naumann, R. J.↗

Eigenvalues and stability problems of rotors

The essential theoretical results of the application of a developed transfer matrix method to the free transverse vibration of a rotor are shown. Gyroscopic and shear effects, rotary inertia, and external and internal damping as well as the influence of sleeve bearings and rotor supports are taken into consideration. The eigenvalues of the motion equations of the rotor are searched by using a modified determinant method.

Walczyk, Z.↗

High-gain backup antenna design for Pioneer Venus Orbiter spacecraft

The development and performance is described of a high-gain antenna designed to serve on the Pioneer Venus Orbiter spacecraft as a backup to the principal high-gain antenna unit in the unlikely event the mechanically despun antenna mechanism malfunctioned. The final design, a center-fed standing wave array of six sleeve dipoles enclosed in a fiber glass radome, performed successfully, as did all the antennas, on the Pioneer Orbiter spacecraft which was launched on May 20, 1978, as part of the Pioneer Venus mission. Photographs of experimental models giving details of design and construction are included, as well as graphs showing measured pattern and impedance matching characteristics of the subject antenna.

Glaser, J. I.↗

Air-Powered Projectile Launcher

Air-powered launcher fires plastic projectiles without using explosive propellants. Does not generate high temperatures. Launcher developed for combat training for U.S. Army. With reservoir pressurized, air launcher ready to fire. When pilot valve opened, sleeve (main valve) moves to rear. Projectile rapidly propelled through barrel, pushed by air from reservoir. Potential applications in seismic measurements, avalanche control, and testing impact resistance of windshields on vehicles.

Andrews, T.↗

Sealed Joints for Hard Suits or Robots

Shoulder-to-arm joint allows wearer to move with considerable freedom while sealing wearer from outside environment. Inner wall is set of bellows, compressed at inner arm and expanded at outer arm, but degree of compression or expansion changes continuously as arm moves. Joint also used on diving suits and on manipulation sleeves for autoclaves and high-vacuum boxes, and as protective cover for articulated torque drives in hostile environments.

Vykukal, Hubert C.↗

Low loss injector for liquid propellant rocket engines

A low pressure loss injector element is disclosed for the main combustion chamber of a rocket engine which includes a lox post terminating in a cylindrical barrel. Received within the barrel is a lox plug which is threaded in the lox post and includes an interchangeable lox metering sieve which meters the lox into an annular lox passage. A second annular gas passage is coaxial with the annular lox passage. A cylindrical sleeve surrounds the annular gas passage and includes an interchangeable gas metering seive having metering orifices through which a hot gas passes into the annular passage. The jets which emerge from the annular lox passage and annular gas passage intersect in a recessed area away from the combustion area. Thus, mixing and combustion stability are enhanced.

Vonpragenau, G. L.↗

Apparatus and method of capturing an orbiting spacecraft

Apparatus and a method of capturing an orbiting spacecraft by attaching a grapple fixture are discussed. A probe is inserted into an opening, such as a rocket nozzle, in the spacecraft until a stop on the prove mechanism contacts the spacecraft. A lever is actuated releasing a spring loaded rod which moves axially along the probe removing a covering sleeve to expose spring loaded toffle fingers which pivot open engaging the side of the opening. The probe is shortened and tensioned by turning a screw thread, pressing the fingers inside of the opening to compress the spacecraft between the toggle fingers and the stop. A grapple fixture attached to the probe, which is thus secured to the spacecraft, is engaged by appropriate retrieval means such as a remote manipulator arm.

Harwell, William D.↗

Personnel occupied woven envelope robot

The Personnel Occupied Woven Envelope Robot (POWER) provides an alternative to extravehicular activity (EVA) of space suited astronauts and/or use of long slender manipulator arms such as are used in the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System. POWER provides the capability for a shirt sleeved astronaut to perform such work by entering a control pod through air locks at both ends of an inflated flexible bellows (access tunnel). The exoskeleton of the tunnel is a series of six degrees of freedom (Six-DOF) articulated links compressible to 1/6 of their fully extended length. The operator can maneuver the control pod to almost any location within about 50 m of the base attachment to the space station. POWER can be envisioned as a series of hollow Six-DOF manipulator segments or arms wherein each arm grasps the shoulder of the next arm. Inside the hollow arms ia a bellow-type access tunnel. The control pod is the fist of the series of linked hollow arms. The fingers of the fist are conventional manipulator arms under direct visual control of the nearby operator in the pod. The applications and progress to date of the POWER system is given.

Wessling, Francis↗

High Temperature Gas-Gap Thermal Switch

Device set to allow heat to flow across gap (switch "on") or decrease rate of transfer of heat to relatively low value (switch "off"). Operates at temperatures in approximate range of 100 to 1,500 degree C. Central cylindrical object thermally connected to (or disconnected from) environment by filling gap between inner and outer sleeves of switch (or evacuating gap) to increase (or decrease) thermal conduction across gap.

Bard, Steven↗

Electrostatic Spraying With Conductive Liquids

Thin, uniform polymer coatings applied in water base normally impossible to charge. Electrostatic sprayer modified so applies coatings suspended or dissolved in electrically conductive liquids. Nozzle and gun constructed of nonconductive molded plastic. Liquid passageway made long enough electrical leakage through it low. Coaxial hose for liquid built of polytetrafluoroethylene tube, insulating sleeve, and polyurethane jacket. Sprayer provided with insulated seal at gun-to-hose connection, nonconductive airhose, pressure tank electrically isolated from ground, and special nozzle electrode. Supply of atomizing air reduced so particle momentum controlled by electrostatic field more effectively. Developed to apply water-base polyurethane coating to woven, shaped polyester fabric. Coating provides pressure seal for fabric, which is part of spacesuit. Also useful for applying waterproof, decorative, or protective coatings to fabrics for use on Earth.

Kosmo, Joseph J.↗

Design guidelines for remotely maintainable equipment

The quantity and complexity of on-orbit assets will increase significantly over the next decade. Maintaining and servicing these costly assets represent a difficult challenge. Three general methods are proposed to maintain equipment while it is still in orbit: an extravehicular activity (EVA) crew can perform the task in an unpressurized maintenance area outside any space vehicle; an intravehicular activity (IVA) crew can perform the maintenance in a shirt sleeve environment, perhaps at a special maintenance work station in a space vehicle; or a telerobotic manipulator can perform the maintenance in an unpressurized maintenance area at a distance from the crew (who may be EVA, IVA, or on the ground). However, crew EVA may not always be possible; the crew may have other demands on their time that take precedence. In addition, the orbit of the tasks themselves may be impossible for crew entry. Also crew IVA may not always be possible as option for equipment maintenance. For example, the equipment may be too large to fit through the vehicle airlock. Therefore, in some circumstances, the third option, telerobotic manipulation, may be the only feasible option. Telerobotic manipulation has, therefore, an important role for on-orbit maintenance. It is not only used for the reasons outlined above, but also used in some cases as backup to the EVA crew in an orbit that they can reach.

Clarke, Margaret M.↗

Shaft Adapter For Data Coupler

Shaft adapter developed to provide means for securing Acurex 1200B universal data coupler to rotating instrumented shaft. Consists of two major parts: shaft sleeve and shaft clamp. Provides for accurate measurements of stresses and strains in shaft.

Elliott, James R.↗

Space structures concepts and materials

An extension is preseted of the evaluation of graphite/aluminum metal matrix composites (MMC) for space structures application. A tubular DWG graphite/aluminum truss assembly was fabricated having the structural integrity and thermal stability needed for space application. DWG is a proprietary thin ply continuous graphite reinforced aluminum composite. The truss end fittings were constructed using the discontinuous ceramic particulate reinforced MMC DWAl 20 (trademark). Thermal stability was incorporated in the truss by utilizing high stiffness, negative coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) P100 graphite fibers in a 6061 aluminum matrix, crossplied to provide minimized CTE in the assembled truss. Tube CTE was designed to be slightly negative to offset the effects of the end fitting and sleeve, CTE values of which are approx. 1/2 that of aluminum. In the design of the truss configuration, the CTE contribution of each component was evaluated to establish the component dimension and layup configuration required to provide a net zero CTE in the subassemblies which would then translate to a zero CTE for the entire truss bay produced.

Nowitzky, A. M.↗

Analysis of a six-component, flow-through, strain-gage, force balance used for hypersonic wind tunnel models with scramjet exhaust flow simulation

The thermal effects of simulant gas injection and aerodynamic heating at the model's surface on the measurements of a non-watercooled, flow through balance were investigated. A stainless steel model of a hypersonic air breathing propulsion cruise missile concept (HAPCM-50) was used to evaluate this balance. The tests were conducted in the 20-inch Mach 6 wind tunnel at NASA-Langley. The balance thermal effects were evaluated at freestream Reynolds numbers ranging from .5 to 7 x 10(exp 6) ft and angles of attack between -3.5 to 5 deg at Mach 6. The injection gases considered included cold air, hot air, and a mixture of 50 percent Argon and 50 percent Freon-12. The stagnation temperatures of the cold air, hot air, and Ar-Fr(12) reached 111, 214, and 283 F, respectively within the balance. A bakelite sleeve was inserted into the inner tube of the balance to minimize the thermal effects of these injection gases. Throughout the tests, the normal force, side force, yaw moment, roll moment, and pitching moment balance measurements were unaffected by the balance thermal effects of the injection gases and the wind tunnel flow. However, the axial force (AF) measurement was significantly affected by balance heating. The average zero shifts in the AF measurements were 1.9, 3.8, and 5.9 percent for cold air, hot air, and Ar-Fr(12) injection, respectively. The AF measurements decreased throughout these tests which lasted from 70 to 110 seconds. During the cold air injection tests, the AF measurements were accurate up to at least ten seconds after the model was injected into the wind tunnel test section. For the hot air and Ar-Fr(12) tests, the AF measurements were accurate up to at least five seconds after model injection.

Kniskern, Marc W.↗

Man-machine interface for the control of a lunar transport machine

A proposed first generation human interface control panel is described which will be used to control SKITTER, a three-legged lunar walking machine. Under development at Georgia Tech, SKITTER will be a multi-purpose, un-manned vehicle capable of preparing a site for the proposed lunar base in advance of the arrival of men. This walking machine will be able to accept modular special purpose tools, such as a crane, a core sampling drill, and a digging device, among others. The project was concerned with the design of a human interface which could be used, from earth, to control the movements of SKITTER on the lunar surface. Preliminary inquiries were also made into necessary modifications required to adapt the panel to both a shirt-sleeve lunar environment and to a mobile unit which could be used by a man in a space suit at a lunar work site.

Ashley, Richard↗

Quantitative assessment of human motion using video motion analysis

In the study of the dynamics and kinematics of the human body, a wide variety of technologies was developed. Photogrammetric techniques are well documented and are known to provide reliable positional data from recorded images. Often these techniques are used in conjunction with cinematography and videography for analysis of planar motion, and to a lesser degree three-dimensional motion. Cinematography has been the most widely used medium for movement analysis. Excessive operating costs and the lag time required for film development coupled with recent advances in video technology have allowed video based motion analysis systems to emerge as a cost effective method of collecting and analyzing human movement. The Anthropometric and Biomechanics Lab at Johnson Space Center utilizes the video based Ariel Performance Analysis System to develop data on shirt-sleeved and space-suited human performance in order to plan efficient on orbit intravehicular and extravehicular activities. The system is described.

Probe, John D.↗

Telepresence and Space Station Freedom workstation operations

The Space Station Freedom workstation system is a distributed network of computer based workstations that provides the man-machine interfaces for controlling space station systems. This includes control of external manipulator, robotic and free flyer devices by crewmembers in the space station's pressurized shirt-sleeve environment. These remotely controlled devices help minimize the requirement for costly crew extravehicular activity (EVA) time for such tasks as station assembly and payload support. Direct window views may be used for controlling some of the systems, but many activities will be remote or require levels of detail not possible by direct observation. Since controlling remote devices becomes more difficult when direct views are inadequate or unavailable, many performance enhancing techniques have been considered for representing information about remote activities to the operator. Described here are the telepresence techniques under consideration to support operations and training. This includes video enhancements (e.g., graphic and text overlays and stereo viewing), machine vision systems, remote activity animation, and force reflection representation.

Jensen, Dean G.↗