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At least 307 records · Page 17

The New LOTIS Test Facility

The Large Optical Test and Integration Site (LOTIS) at the Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company in Sunnyvale, CA is designed for the verification and testing of optical systems. The facility consists of an 88 foot temperature stabilized vacuum chamber that also functions as a class 10k vertical flow cleanroom. Many problems were encountered in the design and construction phases. The industry capability to build large chambers is very weak. Through many delays and extra engineering efforts, the final product is very good. With 11 Thermal Conditioning Units and precision RTD s, temperature is uniform and stable within 1oF, providing an ideal environment for precision optical testing. Within this chamber and atop an advanced micro-g vibration-isolation bench is the 6.5 meter diameter LOTIS Collimator and Scene Generator, LOTIS alignment and support equipment. The optical payloads are also placed on the vibration bench in the chamber for testing. This optical system is designed to operate in both air and vacuum, providing test imagery in an adaptable suite of visible/near infrared (VNIR) and midwave infrared (MWIR) point sources, and combined bandwidth visible-through-MWIR point sources, for testing of large aperture optical payloads. The heart of the system is the LOTIS Collimator, a 6.5m f/15 telescope, which projects scenes with wavefront errors <85 nm rms out to a 0.75 mrad field of view (FOV). Using field lenses, performance can be extended to a maximum field of view of 3.2 mrad. The LOTIS Collimator incorporates an extensive integrated wavefront sensing and control system to verify the performance of the system.

Bell, R. M.↗

Design philosophy of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory infrared detector test facility

To support the development of advanced infrared remote sensing instrumentation using line and area arrays, a test facility has been developed to characterize the detectors. The necessary performance characteristics of the facility were defined by considering current and projected requirements for detector testing. The completed facility provides the desired level of detector testing capability as well as providing ease of human interaction.

Burns, R.↗

Controls, astrophysics, and structures experiment in space ground test facility

This paper describes the initial configuration of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Controls/Structures Interaction Advanced Development Facility (CSI ADF), which is a ground test facility (GTF) for the proposed Controls, Astrophysics, and Structures Experiment in Space (CASES). The laboratory has been developed for the purpose of implementing, testing, and evaluating CSI modeling, control system design, failure analysis, and system identification techniques on a representative large space structure. The facility has been configured to represent as closely as possible an actual flight article.

Bukley, Angelia P.↗

Design and commissioning of an e-beam irradiation beamline at the Upgraded Injector Test Facility at Jefferson Lab

We report the Upgraded Injector Test Facility (UITF) at Jefferson Lab is a continuous-wave superconducting linear accelerator capable of providing an electron beam with energy up to 10 MeV. A beamline for electron-beam irradiation has been designed, installed and successfully commissioned at this facility, aimed at the degradation study of 1,4-dioxane and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in wastewater treatment. A solenoid with a peak axial magnetic field of up to 0.28 T and a set of raster coils were used to obtain a Gaussian beam profile with a transverse standard deviation of ~ 15.0 mm at the target location. Monte-Carlo simulations using FLUKA were carried out to calculate the total absorbed dose and the dose distribution in the sample volume inside the target cell. The simulations were benchmarked experimentally by dosimetry mapping using optichromic dosimeters. The results of the irradiation experiments showed a ~ 95% reduction of 1,4-dioxane in ultra-pure water for a dose of 1 kGy, demonstrating the potential of electron-beam irradiation towards addressing growing challenges in environmental remediation.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Design of a Mach 8.0 axisymmetric nozzle for a hypersonic test facility

An axisymmetric nozzle has been designed to produce test section flow at a Mach number of 8.0 for use in a hypersonic test facility at MSFC. Nominal design conditions used to calculate the viscous correction to the wall contour were selected from the results of a parametric boundary layer investigation so that the widest possible range of satisfactory operating conditions could be obtained. Coordinates for the nozzle are presented in a tabular form suitable for design and manufacturing. The basic analysis techniques have been used to generate results to compare with experimental data from a facility at Langley Research Center. The agreement was reasonably good.

Sims, J. L.↗

Data reduction complex analog-to-digital data processing requirements for onsite test facilities

The analog to digital processing requirements of onsite test facilities are described. The source and medium of all input data to the Data Reduction Complex (DRC) and the destination and medium of all output products of the analog-to-digital processing are identified. Additionally, preliminary input and output data formats are presented along with the planned use of the output products.

Debbrecht, J. D.↗

Conceptual design of the MHD Engineering Test Facility

The reference conceptual design of the MHD engineering test facility, a prototype 200 MWe coal-fired electric generating plant designed to demonstrate the commerical feasibility of open cycle MHD is summarized. Main elements of the design are identified and explained, and the rationale behind them is reviewed. Major systems and plant facilities are listed and discussed. Construction cost and schedule estimates are included and the engineering issues that should be reexamined are identified.

Bents, D. J.↗

Performance evaluation of the Solar Building Test Facility

The general performance of the NASA Solar Building Test Facility (SBTF) and its subsystems and components over a four year operational period is discussed, and data are provided for a typical one year period. The facility consists of a 4645 sq office building modified to accept solar heated water for operation of an absorption air conditioner and a baseboard heating system. An adjoining 1176 sq solar flat plate collector field with a 114 cu tank provides the solar heated water. The solar system provided 57 percent of the energy required for heating and cooling on an annual basis. The average efficiency of the solar collectors was 26 percent over a one year period.

Jensen, R. N.↗

NASA Marshall Impact Testing Facility Capabilities Applicable to Lunar Dust Work

The Impact Testing Facility at Marshall Space Flight Center has several guns that would be of use in studying impact phenomena with respect to lunar dust. These include both ballistic guns, using compressed gas and powder charges, and hypervelocity guns, either light gas guns or an exploding wire gun. In addition, a plasma drag accelerator expected to reach 20 km/s for small particles is under development. Velocity determination and impact event recording are done using ultra-high-speed cameras. Simulation analysis is also available using the SPHC hydrocode.

Evans, Steven W.↗

Comparison of Stereo-PIV and Plenoptic-PIV Measurements on the Wake of a Cylinder in NASA Ground Test Facilities.

A series of comparison experiments have been performed using a single-camera plenoptic PIV measurement system to ascertain the systems performance capabilities in terms of suitability for use in NASA ground test facilities. A proof-of-concept demonstration was performed in the Langley Advanced Measurements and Data Systems Branch 13-inch (33- cm) Subsonic Tunnel to examine the wake of a series of cylinders at a Reynolds number of 2500. Accompanying the plenoptic-PIV measurements were an ensemble of complementary stereo-PIV measurements. The stereo-PIV measurements were used as a truth measurement to assess the ability of the plenoptic-PIV system to capture relevant 3D/3C flow field features in the cylinder wake. Six individual tests were conducted as part of the test campaign using three different cylinder diameters mounted in two orientations in the tunnel test section. This work presents a comparison of measurements with the cylinders mounted horizontally (generating a 2D flow field in the x-y plane). Results show that in general the plenoptic-PIV measurements match those produced by the stereo-PIV system. However, discrepancies were observed in extracted pro les of the fuctuating velocity components. It is speculated that spatial smoothing of the vector fields in the stereo-PIV system could account for the observed differences. Nevertheless, the plenoptic-PIV system performed extremely well at capturing the flow field features of interest and can be considered a viable alternative to traditional PIV systems in smaller NASA ground test facilities with limited optical access.

Fahringer, Timothy W.↗

Low power arcjet test facility impacts

Performance characterization of a flight-type 1.4 kW arcjet system were conducted at the Rocket Research Company (RRC) in Redmond, WA, and at the NASA LeRC in Cleveland, OH. The objectives of these tests were as follows: to compare low-power arcjet performance at two different test facilities; to compare arcjet performance obtained with a 2:1 mixture of gaseous hydrogen and nitrogen and hydrazine; and to quantify the effects of test cell pressure on thruster operating characteristics. Performance and thruster temperature distributions were measured at thruster input power levels and propellant mass flow rates ranging from 1274 to 1370 W and from 3.2 x 10(exp -5) to 5.1 x 10(exp -5) kg/s, respectively. Specific impulses measured at the two facilities, at comparable test cell pressures, using gaseous hydrogen-nitrogen propellant mixtures agreed to within 1 percent over the range of operating conditions tested. The specific impulses measured using hydrazine propellant were higher than that for the cold hydrogen-nitrogen mixtures. Agreement between by hydrazine and gas mixture data was good, however, when the differences in propellant enthalpies at the thruster inlet were considered. Specific impulse showed a strong dependence on test facility pressure, and was 3 to 4 percent higher below 0.1 Pa than for test cell pressures above 5 Pa.

Morren, W. Earl↗

A3 Altitude Test Facility

This slide presentation shows drawings, diagrams and photographs of the A3 Altitude Test Facility. It includes a review of the A3 Facility requirements, and drawings of the various sections of the facility including Engine Deck and Superstructure, Test Cell and Thrust Takeout, Structure and Altitude Support Systems, Chemical Steam generators, and the subscale diffuser. There are also pictures of the construction site, and the facility under construction. A Diagram of the A3 Steam system schematic is also shown

Dulreix, Lionel J.↗

Brief, Why the Launch Equipment Test Facility Needs a Laser Tracker

The NASA Kennedy Space Center Launch Equipment Test Facility (LETF) supports a wide spectrum of testing and development activities. This capability was originally established in the 1970's to allow full-scale qualification of Space Shuttle umbilicals and T-O release mechanisms. The LETF has leveraged these unique test capabilities to evolve into a versatile test and development area that supports the entire spectrum of operational programs at KSC. These capabilities are historically Aerospace related, but can certainly can be adapted for other industries. One of the more unique test fixtures is the Vehicle Motion Simulator or the VMS. The VMS simulates all of the motions that a launch vehicle will experience from the time of its roll-out to the launch pad, through roughly the first X second of launch. The VMS enables the development and qualification testing of umbilical systems in both pre-launch and launch environments. The VMS can be used to verify operations procedures, clearances, disconnect systems performance &margins, and vehicle loads through processing flow motion excursions.

Yue, Shiu H.↗

Summary of nonaxisymmetric nozzle internal performance from the NASA Langley Static Test Facility

Early experimental work on multifunction nozzles (prior to 1978) concentrated on quantifying the isolated and installed performance of specific nozzle designs at various power settings during cruise, vectored thrust, and reverse thrust operating modes. Since 1978, however, significant effort has been expended on developing a parametric data base on nozzle internal design variables which could lead to improved internal performance and/or lower structural weight. Much of this work has been conducted in the Static Test Facility of the NASA/Langley 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel using subscale models and high pressure air to simulate jet exhaust. A review of the research effort on nonaxisymmetric multifunction nozzles along with a summary of many of the results is presented. In addition, internal performance results from subscale models tested in the Static Test Facility and from full-scale engine/nozzle tests are compared.

Leavitt, L. D.↗

Wireless Sensor Instrumentation for Distributed Sensing in Ground-Test Facilities

Wireless sensors have a number of advantages over wired sensors for flexible or temporary diagnostic deployment in a field or lab setting. Relative to wireless alternatives, traditional wired systems encounter limitations including spatial and weight constraints, maintenance costs, and signal integrity in high-noise environments. Ground-test facilities often face these challenges and cause increase down-time costs and failure of data integrity. This paper describes the development and implementation of flexible wireless sensor boards for applications within ground-test facilities using different network architectures. These boards implement state-of-the- art STM32 microprocessor chips for high-speed data acquisition and computational power. Additionally, the design integrates long-range radio transceivers with power output of +20dBm, easily reaching 2 km range, while maintaining high interference immunity and minimizing current consumption. The wireless sensor boards were implemented to demonstrate performance through benchmark testing and by taking distributed electrically-isolated measurements on a high-voltage lab apparatus while using different network architectures. Although this test case is in a laboratory setting, this network architecture could be easily repurposed for various other forms of monitoring.

Wireless Sensor Network↗

Current Status of the High Field Cable Test Facility at Fermilab

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) are collaborating to construct a new High Field Vertical Magnet Test Facility (HFVMTF) designed for testing superconducting cables in high magnetic fields. This state-of-the-art facility will be situated at Fermilab and will provide capabilities comparable to EDIPO at PSI and FRESCA2 at CERN. The HFVMTF’s background magnetic field, reaching 15 T, will be generated by a magnet supplied by LBNL. The HFVMTF is a collaborative effort supported by the US DOE Offices of Science, High Energy Physics, and Fusion Energy Sciences. It will serve as a vital testbed for superconducting HTS cables, subjecting them to high magnetic fields and a wide range of temperatures, benefiting both scientific communities. Additionally, this facility will play a key role in testing high-field superconducting magnet models and demonstrators, including hybrid magnets, developed by the US Magnet Development Pro gram (MDP). These hybrid magnets, utilizing both LTS and HTS superconductors, are significant advancements toward achieving 18+ T dipoles for future hadron-hadron colliders. The presentation outlines the current status of the facility, covering aspects such as construction progress, cryostat designs, top and lambda plates, and systems for powering, quench protection, and monitoring.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗