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At least 307 records · Page 17

Neutral atomic oxygen beam produced by ion charge exchange for Low Earth Orbital (LEO) simulation

A low energy neutral atomic oxygen beam system was designed and is currently being assembled at the Lewis Research Center. The system utilizes a 15 cm diameter Kaufman ion source to produce positive oxygen ions which are charge exchange neutralized to produce low energy (variable from 5 to 150 eV) oxygen atoms at a flux simulating real time low Earth orbital conditions. An electromagnet is used to direct only the singly charged oxygen ions from the ion source into the charge exchange cell. A retarding potential grid is used to slow down the oxygen ions to desired energies prior to their charge exchange. Cryogenically cooled diatomic oxygen gas in the charge exchange cell is then used to transfer charge to the oxygen ions to produce a neutral atomic oxygen beam. Remaining non-charge exchanged oxygen ions are then swept from the beam by electromagnetic or electrostatic deflection depending upon the desired experiment configuration. The resulting neutral oxygen beam of 5 to 10 cm in diameter impinges upon target materials within a sample holder fixture that can also provide for simultaneous heating and UV exposure during the atomic oxygen bombardment.

Banks, Bruce↗

The design and fabrication of a Stirling engine heat exchanger module with an integral heat pipe

The conceptual design of a free-piston Stirling Space Engine (SSE) intended for space power applications has been generated. The engine was designed to produce 25 kW of electric power with heat supplied by a nuclear reactor. A novel heat exchanger module was designed to reduce the number of critical joints in the heat exchanger assembly while also incorporating a heat pipe as the link between the engine and the heat source. Two inexpensive verification tests are proposed. The SSE heat exchanger module is described and the operating conditions for the module are outlined. The design process of the heat exchanger modules, including the sodium heat pipe, is briefly described. Similarities between the proposed SSE heat exchanger modules and the LeRC test modules for two test engines are presented. The benefits and weaknesses of using a sodium heat pipe to transport heat to a Stirling engine are discussed. Similarly, the problems encountered when using a true heat pipe, as opposed to a more simple reflux boiler, are described. The instruments incorporated into the modules and the test program are also outlined.

Schreiber, Jeffrey G.↗

A piloted simulation study of data link ATC message exchange

Data link Air Traffic Control (ATC) and Air Traffic Service (ATS) message and data exchange offers the potential benefits of increased flight safety and efficiency by reducing communication errors and allowing more information to be transferred between aircraft and ground facilities. Digital communication also presents an opportunity to relieve the overloading of ATC radio frequencies which hampers message exchange during peak traffic hours in many busy terminal areas. A piloted simulation study to develop pilot factor guidelines and assess potential flight crew benefits and liabilities from using data link ATC message exchange was completed. The data link ATC message exchange concept, implemented on an existing navigation computer Control Display Unit (CDU) required maintaining a voice radio telephone link with an appropriate ATC facility. Flight crew comments, scanning behavior, and measurements of time spent in ATC communication activities for data link ATC message exchange were compared to similar measures for simulated conventional voice radio operations. The results show crew preference for the quieter flight deck environment and a perception of lower communication workload.

Waller, Marvin C.↗

The design and fabrication of a Stirling engine heat exchanger module with an integral heat pipe

The conceptual design of a free-piston Stirling Space Engine (SSE) intended for space power applications has been generated. The engine was designed to produce 25 kW of electric power with heat supplied by a nuclear reactor. A novel heat exchanger module was designed to reduce the number of critical joints in the heat exchanger assembly while also incorporating a heat pipe as the link between the engine and the heat source. Two inexpensive verification tests are proposed. The SSE heat exchanger module is described and the operating conditions for the module are outlined. The design process of the heat exchanger modules, including the sodium heat pipe, is briefly described. Similarities between the proposed SSE heat exchanger modules and the LeRC test modules for two test engines are presented. The benefits and weaknesses of using a sodium heat pipe to transport heat to a Stirling engine are discussed. Similarly, the problems encountered when using a true heat pipe, as opposed to a more simple reflux boiler, are described. The instruments incorporated into the modules and the test program are also outlined.

Schreiber, Jeffrey G.↗

A simulation study of data link message exchange - Flight deck perspective

Data link message exchange for Air Traffic Control (ATC) offers the potential of increasing flight safety and efficiency by reducing communication errors and enabling more information to be exchanged between aircraft and ground facilities. Digital communication also presents an opportunity to relieve the overloading of air traffic control radio frequencies, which hampers efficient message exchange during peak traffic periods in many busy terminal areas. A study has been completed at NASA Langley Research Center to compare the use of data link, for tactical ATC messages and ATIS reports, to conventional voice communication. The results indicate that flight crews prefer the data link message exchange for routine communication with air traffic control facilities. The data link communication process, however, entailed delays related to the physical characteristics of the link and the nature of the interface explored in this study. Consequently, the crews preferred voice radio when exchanging time critical messages.

Waller, Marvin C.↗

Multiphase complete exchange on a circuit switched hypercube

On a distributed memory parallel computer, the complete exchange (all-to-all personalized) communication pattern requires each of n processors to send a different block of data to each of the remaining n - 1 processors. This pattern is at the heart of many important algorithms, most notably the matrix transpose. For a circuit switched hypercube of dimension d(n = 2(sup d)), two algorithms for achieving complete exchange are known. These are (1) the Standard Exchange approach that employs d transmissions of size 2(sup d-1) blocks each and is useful for small block sizes, and (2) the Optimal Circuit Switched algorithm that employs 2(sup d) - 1 transmissions of 1 block each and is best for large block sizes. A unified multiphase algorithm is described that includes these two algorithms as special cases. The complete exchange on a hypercube of dimension d and block size m is achieved by carrying out k partial exchange on subcubes of dimension d(sub i) Sigma(sup k)(sub i=1) d(sub i) = d and effective block size m(sub i) = m2(sup d-di). When k = d and all d(sub i) = 1, this corresponds to algorithm (1) above. For the case of k = 1 and d(sub i) = d, this becomes the circuit switched algorithm (2). Changing the subcube dimensions d, varies the effective block size and permits a compromise between the data permutation and block transmission overhead of (1) and the startup overhead of (2). For a hypercube of dimension d, the number of possible combinations of subcubes is p(d), the number of partitions of the integer d. This is an exponential but very slowly growing function and it is feasible over these partitions to discover the best combination for a given message size. The approach was analyzed for, and implemented on, the Intel iPSC-860 circuit switched hypercube. Measurements show good agreement with predictions and demonstrate that the multiphase approach can substantially improve performance for block sizes in the 0 to 160 byte range. This range, which corresponds to 0 to 40 floating point numbers per processor, is commonly encountered in practical numeric applications. The multiphase technique is applicable to all circuit-switched hypercubes that use the common e-cube routing strategy.

Bokhari, Shahid H.↗

Concerted hydrogen atom exchange between three HF molecules

We have investigated the termolecular reaction involving concerted hydrogen exchange between three HF molecules, with particular emphasis on the effects of correlation at the various stationary points along the reaction. Using an extended basis, we have located the geometries of the stable hydrogen-bonded trimer, which is of C(sub 3h) symmetry, and the transition state for hydrogen exchange, which is of D(sub 3h) symmetry. The energies of the exchange reation were then evaluated at the correlated level, using a large atomic natural orbital basis and correlating all valence electrons. Several correlation treatments were used, namely, configration interaction with single and double excitations, coupled-pair functional, and coupled-cluster methods. We are thus able to measure the effect of accounting for size-extensivity. Zero-point corrections to the correlated level energetics were determined using analytic second derivative techniques at the SCF level. Our best calculations, which include the effects of connected triple excitations in the coupled-cluster procedure, indicate that the trimer is bound by 9 +/- 1 kcal/mol relative to three separate monomers, in excellent agreement with previous estimates. The barrier to concerted hydrogen exchange is 15 kcal/mol above the trimer, or only 4.7 kcal/mol above three separated monomers. Thus the barrier to hydrogen exchange between HF molecules via this termolecular process is very low.

Komornicki, Andrew↗

Test results of a Stirling engine utilizing heat exchanger modules with an integral heat pipe

The Heat Pipe Stirling Engine (HP-1000), a free-piston Stirling engine incorporating three heat exchanger modules, each having a sodium filled heat pipe, has been tested at the NASA-Lewis Research Center as part of the Civil Space Technology Initiative (CSTI). The heat exchanger modules were designed to reduce the number of potential flow leak paths in the heat exchanger assembly and incorporate a heat pipe as the link between the heat source and the engine. An existing RE-1000 free-piston Stirling engine was modified to operate using the heat exchanger modules. This paper describes heat exchanger module and engine performance during baseline testing. Condenser temperature profiles, brake power, and efficiency are presented and discussed.

Skupinski, Robert C.↗

Exchange, interpretation, and database-search of ion mobility spectra supported by data format JCAMP-DX

To assist peak assignment in ion mobility spectrometry it is important to have quality reference data. The reference collection should be stored in a database system which is capable of being searched using spectral or substance information. We propose to build such a database customized for ion mobility spectra. To start off with it is important to quickly reach a critical mass of data in the collection. We wish to obtain as many spectra combined with their IMS parameters as possible. Spectra suppliers will be rewarded for their participation with access to the database. To make the data exchange between users and system administration possible, it is important to define a file format specially made for the requirements of ion mobility spectra. The format should be computer readable and flexible enough for extensive comments to be included. In this document we propose a data exchange format, and we would like you to give comments on it. For the international data exchange it is important, to have a standard data exchange format. We propose to base the definition of this format on the JCAMP-DX protocol, which was developed for the exchange of infrared spectra. This standard made by the Joint Committee on Atomic and Molecular Physical Data is of a flexible design. The aim of this paper is to adopt JCAMP-DX to the special requirements of ion mobility spectra.

Baumback, J. I.↗

Characteristics of stratosphere-troposphere exchange in a general circulation model

In this study we examine mass exchange, water vapor exchange, and the behavior of idealized tracers and parcels to diagnose Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange (STE) in the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) General Circulation Model (GCM), the Community Climate Model (CCM2). The CCM2 correctly represents the seasonality of mass exchange across 100 hPa, but values are uniformly too strong. Water vapor, however, indicates that tropical STE is not well represented in the CCM2; even though mean tropopause temperatures are colder than observed, the lower stratosphere is too moist. Most net mass flux occurs at water vapor mixing ratios of about 4-5 parts per million by volume (ppmv), about 1 ppmv too moist. Vertical resolution has little impact on the nature of tropical STE. In midlatitudes, CCM2 more successfully represents STE, which occurs in developing baroclinic waves and stationary anticyclones. Exchange from troposphere to stratosphere does occur but only influences the lowest few kilometers of the extratropical stratosphere, even for tracers with large vertical gradients.

Mote, Philip W.↗

Multiphase complete exchange on Paragon, SP2 and CS-2

The overhead of interprocessor communication is a major factor in limiting the performance of parallel computer systems. The complete exchange is the severest communication pattern in that it requires each processor to send a distinct message to every other processor. This pattern is at the heart of many important parallel applications. On hypercubes, multiphase complete exchange has been developed and shown to provide optimal performance over varying message sizes. Most commercial multicomputer systems do not have a hypercube interconnect. However, they use special purpose hardware and dedicated communication processors to achieve very high performance communication and can be made to emulate the hypercube quite well. Multiphase complete exchange has been implemented on three contemporary parallel architectures: the Intel Paragon, IBM SP2 and Meiko CS-2. The essential features of these machines are described and their basic interprocessor communication overheads are discussed. The performance of multiphase complete exchange is evaluated on each machine. It is shown that the theoretical ideas developed for hypercubes are also applicable in practice to these machines and that multiphase complete exchange can lead to major savings in execution time over traditional solutions.

Bokhari, Shahid H.↗

Ion Exchange Equilibrium and Kinetic Properties of Polyacrylate Films and Applications to Chemical Analysis and Environmental Decontamination

One of the goals of the original proposal was to study how cross-linking affects the properties of an ion exchange material(IEM) developed at Lewis Research Center. However, prior to the start of this work, other workers at LERC investigated the effect of cross-linking on the properties of this material. Other than variation in the ion exchange capacity, the chemical characteristics were shown to be independent of the cross-linking agent, and the degree of cross-linking. New physical forms of the film were developed (film, supported film, various sizes of beads, and powder). All showed similar properties with respect to ion exchange equilibria but the kinetics of ion exchange depended on the surface area per unit mass; the powder form of the IEM exchanging much more rapidly than the other forms. The research performed under this grant was directed towards the application of the IEM to the analysis of metal ions at environmental concentrations.

Tanner, Stephen P.↗

Design Development Analyses in Support of a Heatpipe-Brayton Cycle Heat Exchanger

One of the power systems under consideration for nuclear electric propulsion or as a planetary surface power source is a heatpipe-cooled reactor coupled to a Brayton cycle. In this system, power is transferred from the heatpipes to the Brayton gas via a heat exchanger attached to the heatpipes. This paper discusses the fluid, thermal and structural analyses that were performed in support of the design of the heat exchanger to be tested in the SAFE-100 experimental program at Marshall Space Flight Center. A companion paper, "Mechanical Design and Fabrication of a SAFE-100 Heat Exchanger for use in NASA s Advanced Propulsion Thermal-hydraulic Simulator", presents the fabrication issues and prototyping studies that, together with these analyses, led to the development of this heat exchanger. An important consideration throughout the design development of the heat exchanger was its capability to be utilized for higher power and temperature applications. This paper also discusses this aspect of the design and presents designs for specific applications that are under consideration.

Steeve, Brian↗

Design Development Analyses in Support of a Heatpipe-Brayton Cycle Heat Exchanger

One of the power systems under consideration for nuclear electric propulsion or as a planetary surface power source is a heatpipe-cooled reactor coupled to a Brayton cycle. In this system, power is transferred from the heatpipes to the Brayton gas via a heat exchanger attached to the heatpipes. This paper discusses the fluid, thermal and structural analyses that were performed in support of the design of the heat exchanger to be tested in the SAFE-100 experimental program at Marshall Space Flight Center. A companion paper, "Mechanical Design and Fabrication of a SAFE-100 Heat Exchanger for use in NASA s Advanced Propulsion Thermal-hydraulic Simulator", presents the fabrication issues and prototyping studies that, together with these analyses, led to the development of this heat exchanger. An important consideration throughout the design development of the heat exchanger was its capability to be utilized for higher power and temperature applications. This paper also discusses this aspect of the design and presents designs for specific applications that are under consideration.

Steeve, Brian↗

Truly incomplete and complex exchanges in prematurely condensed chromosomes of human fibroblasts exposed in vitro to energetic heavy ions

Confluent human fibroblast cells (AG1522) were irradiated with gamma rays, 490 MeV/nucleon silicon ions, or iron ions at either 200 or 500 MeV/nucleon. The cells were allowed to repair at 37 degrees C for 24 h after exposure, and a chemically induced premature chromosome condensation (PCC) technique was used to condense chromosomes in the G2 phase of the cell cycle. Incomplete and complex exchanges were analyzed in the irradiated samples. To verify that chromosomal breaks were truly unrejoined, chromosome aberrations were analyzed using a combination of whole-chromosome specific probes and probes specific for the telomere region of the chromosome. Results showed that the frequency of unrejoined chromosome breaks was higher after irradiation with the heavy ions of high LET, and consequently the ratio of incomplete to complete exchanges increased steadily with LET up to 440 keV/microm, the highest LET included in the present study. For samples exposed to 200 MeV/nucleon iron ions, chromosome aberrations were analyzed using the multicolor FISH (mFISH) technique, which allows identification of both complex and truly incomplete exchanges. Results of the mFISH study showed that 0.7 and 3 Gy iron ions produced similar ratios of complex to simple exchanges and incomplete to complete exchanges; these ratios were higher than those obtained after exposure to 6 Gy gamma rays. After 0.7 Gy of iron ions, most complex aberrations were found to involve three or four chromosomes, which is a likely indication of the maximum number of chromosome domains traversed by a single iron-ion track.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗

Estimate of the frequency of true incomplete exchanges in human lymphocytes exposed to 1 GeV/u Fe ions in vitro

PURPOSE: To study the frequency of true incomplete exchanges induced by high-LET radiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human lymphocytes were exposed to 1 GeV/u Fe ions (LET = 140 keV/microm). Chromosome aberrations were analysed by a fluorescence in situ hybridization using a combination of whole-chromosome-specific probes and human telomere probes. Chromosomes 1, 3 and 4 were investigated. RESULTS: The percentage of incomplete exchanges was between 23 and 29% if telomere signals were not considered. The percentage decreased to approximately 10% after ruling out false incomplete exchanges containing telomere signals. The final estimation of true incomplete exchanges was <10%. CONCLUSION: Within a degree of uncertainty, the percentage of true incomplete exchanges in 1 GeV/u Fe ion-irradiated human lymphocytes was similar to that induced by gamma rays.

NASA Center JSC↗

Properties of a Novel Ion-Exchange Film

A new ion-exchange material (based on polyacrylic acid) and some of its analytical applications have been reported. This paper contains data on the ion-exchange properties of the film form of the material and its potential application to the decontamination of waste water and drinking water. The film has a high exchange capacity of 5 to 6 meq/g and a pK(sub a) of 5.7. The calcium form is the most effective for removing metal ions from solution, and the optimum pH range is between 5 and 7. The exchange rates are slower for the film than for bead and powder forms of the ion-exchange material; otherwise, the properties are similar. The film is effective when hard water solutions are employed and also when metal ions are in the complex matrix of waste water from electroplating. The film can be used in flow systems having a flow channel large enough to allow passage of turbid solutions.

Street, Kenneth W.↗

Phase Change Material Heat Exchanger Life Test

Low Lunar Orbit (LLO) poses unique thermal challenges for the orbiting space craft, particularly regarding the performance of the radiators. The IR environment of the space craft varies drastically from the light side to the dark side of the moon. The result is a situation where a radiator sized for the maximal heat load in the most adverse situation is subject to freezing on the dark side of the orbit. One solution to this problem is to implement Phase Change Material (PCM) Heat Exchangers. PCM Heat Exchangers act as a "thermal capacitor," storing thermal energy when there is too much being produced by the space craft to reject to space, and then feeding that energy back into the thermal loop when conditions are more favorable. Because they do not use an expendable resource, such as the feed water used by sublimators and evaporators, PCM Heat Exchangers are ideal for long duration LLO missions. In order to validate the performance of PCM Heat Exchangers, a life test is being conducted on four n-Pentadecane, carbon filament heat exchangers. Fluid loop performance, repeatability, and measurement of performance degradation over 2500 melt-freeze cycles will be performed.

Lillibridge, Sean↗