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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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Report describes operation, installation, and performance of solar-energy system which provides alternative to natural gas pool heating. System is comprised of 2,500 square feet of liquid flat-plate collectors connected to 3,600 galloon; gallongalloon storage tank, with microcomputer-based controls. Extension of building incorporates vertical-wall, passive collection system which provides quarter of heated fresh air for office.
The possibility of making the antenna of an MST radar too large is pointed out. It is not that the signal ceases to become stronger beyond some critical antenna size; the received scattered signal actually becomes weaker as the antenna size is increased whenever the target is in the near field, Fresnel region of the antenna. The Arecibo antenna is a case in point. It is supposed that MST work would benefit to use a feed which illuminated only a portion of the dish.
Student projects for the Get Away Special (GAS) space shuttle program were summarized. Experimental topics included: seed germination, shrimp growth, liquid lasers, planaria regeneration, fluid dynamics (wicking), soil molds, antibiotics, crystallization, the symbiosis of yeast and fungi, and the performance of electronic chips. A brief experimental design is included for each project.
Space plasma simulations, observations, and theories are discussed. Papers are presented on the capabilities of various types of simulation codes and simulation models. Consideration is given to plasma waves in the earth's magnetotail, outer planet magnetosphere, geospace, and the auroral and polar cap regions. Topics discussed include space plasma turbulent dissipation, the kinetics of plasma waves, wave-particle interactions, whistler mode propagation, global energy regulation, and auroral arc formation.
Development of the NORSTAR (Norfolk Public Student Team for Acoustical Research) Project includes the definition, design, fabrication, testing, analysis, and publishing the results of an acoustical experiment. The student-run program is based on a space flight organization similar to the Viking Project. The experiment will measure the scattering transfer of momentum from a sound field to spheres in a liquid medium. It is hoped that the experimental results will shed light on a difficult physics problem - the difference in scattering cross section (the overall effect of the sound wave scattering) for solid spheres and hollow spheres of differing wall thicknesses.
Particle behavior in combustion processes is an active research area at NPS. Currently, four research efforts are being conducted: (1) There is a long standing need to better understand the soot production and combustion processes in gas turbine combustors, both from a concern for improved engine life and to minimize exhaust particulates. Soot emissions are strongly effected by fuel composition and additives; (2) A more recent need for particle sizing/behavior measurements is in the combustor of a solid fuel ramjet which uses a metallized fuel. High speed motion pictures are being used to study rather large burning particles; (3) In solid propellant rocket motors, metals are used to improve specific impulse and/or to provide damping for combustion pressure oscillations. Particle sizing experiments are being conducted using diode arrays to measure the light intensity as a function of scattering angle; (4) Once a good quality hologram is attained, a need exists for obtaining the particle distributions from hologram in a short period of time. A Quantimet 720 Image Analyzer is being used to reconstruct images.
Broad, tutorial coverage is given to the technical and scientific aspects of mesosphere stratosphere troposphere (MST) meteorological radar systems. Control issues, signal processing, atmospheric waves, the historical aspects of radar atmospheric dynamics, incoherent scatter radars, radar echoes, radar targets, and gravity waves are among the topics covered.
The part that universities should play in the future development of CFD, which must be evaluated in light of CFD's pacing elements and challenges, is discussed. Attention is given to CFD pacing items that must be in place before routine aerodynamic simulation can be performed including grid generation and geometry surface definition, solution adaptive meshing, more efficient time-accurate simulation, modeling of real-gas effects, multiple relative body motion, and prediction of transition and turbulence modeling. As universities have contributed to research in CFD from its inception, this research should continue to enhance and motivate teaching, improve CFD as a discipline, and stimulate faculty and students.
Papers are presented on topics in the dynamics of the middle atmosphere, the homogeneous chemistry of gas-phase neutral constituents in the middle atmosphere, stratospheric turbulence, the stratospheric ozone balance considered as a coupled chemical system, and gases of biological origin in the atmosphere. Consideration is also given to lidar measurements of ozone, microwave techniques for the measurement of stratospheric constituents, the seasonal evolution of the extratropical middle atmosphere, the WINDII experiment on the UARS satellite, and the use of the European polar platform for middle-atmosphere research.
Can you imagine doing a science project in space? This is the challenging and exciting situation that researchers experience in Spacelab, the laboratory carried inside the Shuttle. Here, hundreds of kilometers above Earth's surface, the crews of the ATLAS missions scan, probe, and measure concentrations of chemicals and water vapor in Earth's protective bubble. So far, one ATLAS crew has rocketed into the atmosphere, watching many sunrises and sunsets come and go while activating delicate instruments and conducting experiments that monitor the complicated interactions between the Sun, the atmosphere, and Earth. We, the crew of ATLAS 2, will continue this important work aboard the Space Shuttle. Together, we will gather data that will be compared with information from satellites, balloons, and instruments on the ground. As part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) contribution to Mission to Planet Earth, ATLAS 2 will help develop a thorough picture of the Sun's output, its interaction with the atmosphere, and the well-being of Earth's middle atmosphere. Because the health of the atmosphere is of vital importance to all Earth's inhabitants, everyone should be part of this investigation. You can be active participants in exciting and vital activities: recycling and practicing other conservation methods and gathering information to learn more about how you can keep our atmosphere healthy now, as students, and in the future as informed citizens, scientists, technicians, and mathematicians.
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We will give here only a short explanation of the operation of the plant and deal principally with the question of what it has accomplished.
It is to be expected that the advantageous properties, hitherto discovered in many slotted wing sections, depend very largely on the contour of the slot and the structural details of the wing. It is therefore of interest, aside from measurements on wings of constant cross-section along the span, to measure also wing models in which the structural details have already been given practical consideration.
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Young students find extra-terrestrial life one of the most intriguing of all topics. A project funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA, and administered by the SETI Institute, is underway to devise science lessons for grades 3-9 that draw upon this fascination. The lessons are designed by teachers and persons with long experience at curriculum design, tested in classrooms, revised and retested. Six guides, each containing some 6-10 science lessons, will be finished by summer, 1994.The theme Life in the Universe lends itself naturally to integrated treatment of facts and concepts from many scientific disciplines. The lessons for two completed guides span the origin of planet systems, evolution of complex life, chemical makeup of life, astronomy, spectroscopy, continental drift, mathematics and SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence). All lessons are hands-on, interesting, and successful.
The summer of 1997 will not only be noted by NASA for the mission to Mars by the Pathfinder but also for the 179 brilliant apprentices that participated in the SHARP Program. Apprentice participation increased 17% over last year's total of 153 participants. As indicated by the End-of-the-Program Evaluations, 96% of the programs' participants rated the summer experience from very good to excellent. The SHARP Management Team began the year by meeting in Cocoa Beach, Florida for the annual SHARP Planning Conference. Participants strengthened their Education Division Computer Aided Tracking System (EDCATS) skills, toured the world-renowned Kennedy Space Center, and took a journey into space during the Alien Encounter Exercise. The participants returned to their Centers with the same goals and objectives in mind. The 1997 SHARP Program goals were: (1) Utilize NASA's mission, unique facilities and specialized workforce to provide exposure, education, and enrichment experiences to expand participants' career horizons and inspire excellence in formal education and lifelong learning. (2) Develop and implement innovative education reform initiatives which support NASA's Education Strategic Plan and national education goals. (3) Utilize established statistical indicators to measure the effectiveness of SHARP's program goals. (4) Explore new recruiting methods which target the student population for which SHARP was specifically designed. (5) Increase the number of participants in the program. All of the SHARP Coordinators reported that the goals and objectives for the overall program as well as their individual program goals were achieved. Some of the goals and objectives for the Centers were: (1) To increase the students' awareness of science, mathematics, engineering, and computer technology; (2) To provide students with the opportunity to broaden their career objectives; and (3) To expose students to a variety of enrichment activities. Most of the Center goals and objectives were consistent with the overall program goals. Modem Technology Systems, Inc., was able to meet the SHARP Apprentices, Coordinators and Mentors during their site visits to Stennis Space Center, Ames Research Center and Dryden Flight Research Center. All three Centers had very efficient programs and adhered to SHARP's general guidelines and procedures. MTSI was able to meet the apprentices from the other Centers via satellite in July during the SHARP Video-Teleconference(ViTS). The ViTS offered the apprentices and the NASA and SHARP Coordinators the opportunity to introduce themselves. The apprentices from each Center presented topical "Cutting Edge Projects". Some of the accomplishments for the 1997 SHARP Program year included: MTSI hiring apprentices from four of the nine NASA Centers, the full utilization of the EDCATS by apprentices and NASA/SHARP Coordinators, the distribution of the SHARP Apprentice College and Scholarship Directory, a reunion with former apprentices from Langley Research Center and the development of a SHARP Recruitment Poster. MTSI developed another exciting newsletter containing graphics and articles submitted by the apprentices and the SHARP Management Team.
Earth's thin layer of soil is a fragile resource, made up of minerals, organic materials, air, water, and billions of living organisms. Soils plays a variety of critical roles that sustain life on Earth. If we think about soil, we tend to see it first as the source of most of the food we eat and the fibers we use, such as wood and cotton. Few students realize that soils also provide the key ingredients to many of the medicines (including antibiotics), cosmetics, and dyes that we use. Fewer still understand the importance of soils in integrating, controlling, and regulating the movement of air, water, materials, and energy between the hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. Because soil sustains life, it offers both a context and a natural laboratory for investigating these interactions. The enclosed poster, which integrates soil profiles with typical landscapes in which soils form, can also help students explore the interrelationships of Earth systems and gain an understanding of our soil resources. The poster, produced jointly by the American Geological Institute and the Soil Science Society of America, aims to increase awareness of the importance of soil, as does the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations To Benefit the Environment) Program. Vice President Al Gore instituted the GLOBE Program on Earth Day of 1993 to increase environmental awareness of individuals throughout the world, contribute to a better scientific understanding of the Earth, and help all students reach higher levels of achievement in science and mathematics. GLOBE functions as a partnership between scientists, students, and teachers in which scientists design protocols for specific measurements they need for their research that can be performed by K-12 students. Teachers are trained in the GLOBE protocols and teach them to their students. Students make the measurements, enter data via the Internet to a central data archive, and the data becomes available to scientists and the general community. Students benefit by having a "hands-on"experience in science, math, and technology, using their local environment as a learning laboratory, as well as contact with scientists and other students around the world. Soil investigations have become an essential component of GLOBE. The protocols that have been developed so far within the GLOBE program include GPS Location, Atmosphere/Climate, Soil Characterization, Soil Moisture and Temperature, Land Cover/Biometry, Hydrology, and Satellite Image Classification. For the GLOBE Soil Characterization Protocol, students explore the physical. chemical, and morphological properties of the soil at their study site. They are asked to dig a pit or use an auger to about 1 meter at at least 2 sites.
Assessment of our educational outreach program shows that students and their parents are excited about space science, but stereotypes about science and scientists drastically effect student attitudes about science and pursuing a technical career.