Design and Development of a SNAP-8 Mercury Pump Motor Assembly
Design and performance of mercury pump motor for SNAP 8 electrical generator
Foss, C. L.↗
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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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Mechanical performance of a 2 to 10 kilowatt Brayton rotating unit
Operational test and evaluation of Brayton cycle electric generator
Evans, R. C.↗
Electrostatic propulsion system with a direct nuclear electrogenerator Patent
Nuclear electric generator for accelerating charged propellant particles in electrostatic propulsion system
Low, C. A., Jr.↗
High-voltage solar array for ion engines
High voltage solar arrays for ion engines, discussing spacecraft propulsion, electric generation, insulation integrity, cell degradation and current leakage
Oman, H.↗
Ball bearing design for the SNAP-8 turboalternator and mercury pump
Design and application of tool-steel ball bearings to turboalternator and mercury pump of SNAP-8 electrical generator
Foley, R. S.↗
Failure sensing and protection circuit for converter networks Patent
Circuit design for failure sensing and protecting low voltage electric generator and power transmission networks
Jensen, K. J.↗
Nuclear design and experiments for a space power reactor
Design and experiments with compact fast spectrum reactor for generating electric power in space
Klann, P. G.↗
SNAP-8 power conversion system design review
The conceptual design of the SNAP-8 electrical generating system configurations are reviewed including the evolution of the PCS configuration, and the current concepts. The reliabilities of two alternative PCS-G heat rejection loop configurations with two radiator design concepts are also reviewed. A computer program for calculating system pressure loss using multiple-loop flow analysis is included.
Lopez, L. P.↗
Circuit performance of a parasitic-loading digital speed controller for a 400-hertz turbine-driven alternator
Parasitic speed controllers are used in space power electrical generating systems to maintain the speed of the turbine-driven alternators within specified limits. Selected subcircuits for a solid state parasitic-loading speed controller were assembled and tested. The test results as obtained to date consist of the performance evaluation of the frequency reference and the period counter subcircuits. These circuits performed as expected.
Ryan, J. P.↗
OFO experimental techniques and preliminary conclusions - Is artificial gravity needed during prolonged weightlessness.
The technique of single unit recording from body systems generating electrical pulses coherent with their basic function (CNS, muscles, sense organs) has been proved feasible during the OFO A orbital flight, an automatic physiological experiment. The results of recording 155 hours of orbital flight of pulses from the nerve fibres of four vestibular gravity sensors in two bull frogs indicate that the vestibular organ adjusts to zero g. As all the other biological changes observed during orbit are due to lack of exercise, it is concluded that artificial gravity might not be necessary during prolonged space missions or on low gravity celestial bodies.
Gualtierotti, T.↗
Analysis of a boron-carbide-drum-controlled critical reactor experiment
In order to validate methods and cross sections used in the neutronic design of compact fast-spectrum reactors for generating electric power in space, an analysis of a boron-carbide-drum-controlled critical reactor was made. For this reactor the transport analysis gave generally satisfactory results. The calculated multiplication factor for the most detailed calculation was only 0.7-percent Delta k too high. Calculated reactivity worth of the control drums was $11.61 compared to measurements of $11.58 by the inverse kinetics methods and $11.98 by the inverse counting method. Calculated radial and axial power distributions were in good agreement with experiment.
Mayo, W. T.↗
Thermoelectric thin film thermal coating systems
Derivation of the fluid loop temperature profile for a model with thermoelectric devices (TED) attached is developed as a function of position, incident radiation intensity, input fluid loop temperature and TED current. The associated temperature of the radiator is also developed so that the temperature difference across the TED can be determined for each position. The temperature difference is used in determining optimum operating conditions and available generated electrical power.
Harpster, J. W.↗
Nuclear powerplants for mobile applications.
Mobile nuclear powerplants for applications other than large ships and submarines will require compact, lightweight reactors with especially stringent impact-safety design. This paper examines the technical and economic feasibility that the broadening role of civilian nuclear power, in general, (land-based nuclear electric generating plants and nuclear ships) can extend to lightweight, safe mobile nuclear powerplants. The paper discusses technical experience, identifies potential sources of technology for advanced concepts, cites the results of economic studies of mobile nuclear powerplants, and surveys future technical capabilities needed by examining the current use and projected needs for vehicles, machines, and habitats that could effectively use mobile nuclear reactor powerplants.
Anderson, J. L.↗
Nuclear power plants for mobile applications
Mobile nuclear powerplants for applications other than large ships and submarines will require compact, lightweight reactors with especially stringent impact-safety design. The technical and economic feasibility that the broadening role of civilian nuclear power, in general, (land-based nuclear electric generating plants and nuclear ships) can extend to lightweight, safe mobile nuclear powerplants are examined. The paper discusses technical experience, identifies potential sources of technology for advanced concepts, cites the results of economic studies of mobile nuclear powerplants, and surveys future technical capabilities needed by examining the current use and projected needs for vehicles, machines, and habitats that could effectively use mobile nuclear reactor powerplants.
Anderson, J. L.↗
Solar energy to meet the nation's energy needs
Solar energy, being a non-depleting clean source of energy, is shown to be capable of providing energy in all the forms in which it is used today. It can be used to generate electricity, for heating and cooling buildings, and for producing clean renewable gaseous, liquid and solid fuel. There is little question of the technical feasibility for utilizing solar energy. The chief problem is rapidly providing innovative solutions that are economically competititive with other systems.
Rom, F. E.↗
Feasibility of space disposal of radioactive nuclear waste. 2: Technical summary
The feasibility of transporting radioactive waste produced in the process of generating electricity in nuclear powerplants into space for ultimate disposal was investigated at the request of the AEC as a NASA in-house effort. The investigation is part of a broad AEC study of methods for long-term storage or disposal of radioactive waste. The results of the study indicate that transporting specific radioactive wastes, particularly the actinides with very long half-lives, into space using the space shuttle/tug as the launch system, appears feasible from the engineering and safety viewpoints. The space transportation costs for ejecting the actinides out of the solar system would represent less than a 5-percent increase in the average consumer's electric bill.
Source record↗
Variable-beamwidth monopulse antennas
The merits of nine methods for zooming microwave amplitude-sensing monopulse antenna patterns are discussed. Of these, six are directly related to the TDRSS (Tracking Data Relay Satellite System) and are compatible with a deployable-mesh pseudo-paraboloidal main reflector. The remaining three methods utilize radically different geometrical configurations that depart considerably from the TDRSS parameters existing at this time. Preservation of the monopulse postulates is considered to be of prime importance for any variable-beamwidth candidate, however, it is allowed that approximate satisfaction of the postulates should be accepted for practical reasons. All of the methods discussed admit free choice of the polarization state, and the zooming function is never predicated on polarization. Exploration of the zooming techniques was carried out almost entirely by means of the Kirchhoff-Kottler vector diffraction program. The program generates electric and magnetic field intensity, associated phase, and time-average Poynting vector power flow in the intermediate near-field and far-field zones in both receive and transmit modes of operation. A few of the concepts have been verified experimentally with excellent agreement between theory and practice.
Schmidt, R. F.↗
Study of the use of Metal-Oxide-Silicon (MOS) devices for particulate detection and monitoring in the earth's atmosphere
A metal-oxide-silicon (MOS) capacitor-type particulate sensor was evaluated for use in atmospheric measurements. An accelerator system was designed and tested for the purpose of providing the necessary energy to trigger the MOS-type sensor. The accelerator system and the MOS sensor were characterized as a function of particle size and velocity. Diamond particles were used as particulate sources in laboratory tests. Preliminary tests were performed in which the detector was mounted on an aircraft and flown in the vicinity of coal-fired electric generating plants.
Brooks, A. D.↗