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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1986

Thermal barrier coating life-prediction model development

The program focuses on predicting the lives of two types of strain-tolerant and oxidation-resistant thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems that are produced by commercial coating suppliers to the gas turbine industry. The plasma-sprayed TBC system, composed of a low-pressure plasma-spray (LPPS) or an argon shrouded plasma-spray (ASPS) applied oxidation resistant NiCrAlY or (CoNiCrAlY) bond coating and an air-plasma-sprayed yttria partially stabilized zirconia insulative layer, is applied by both Chromalloy, Klock, and Union Carbide. The second type of TBS is applied by the electron beam-physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) process by Temescal. The second year of the program was focused on specimen procurement, TMC system characterization, nondestructive evaluation methods, life prediction model development, and TFE731 engine testing of thermal barrier coated blades. Materials testing is approaching completion. Thermomechanical characterization of the TBC systems, with toughness, and spalling strain tests, was completed. Thermochemical testing is approximately two-thirds complete. Preliminary materials life models for the bond coating oxidation and zirconia sintering failure modes were developed. Integration of these life models with airfoil component analysis methods is in progress. Testing of high pressure turbine blades coated with the program TBS systems is in progress in a TFE731 turbofan engine. Eddy current technology feasibility was established with respect to nondestructively measuring zirconia layer thickness of a TBC system.

Strangman, T. E.↗
NASA NTRS1993

An alternative representation of the ice canopy for calculating microwave brightness temperatures over a thunderstorm

Passive microwave brightness temperatures (TBs) at 92 and 183 GHz from an aircraft thunderstorm overflight are compared with values calculated from radar-derived hydrometeor profiles and a modified proximity sounding. Two methods for modeling particles in the ice canopy are contrasted. The first is a 'traditional' approach employing Marshall-Palmer ice spheres. The second, or 'alternative', method partitions 20 percent of the ice water content into a Marshall-Palmer component for graupel and hail, and 80 percent into a modified gamma spherical particle size distribution function representing ice crystals. Results from the alternative approach are superior to those from the traditional method in the anvil and mature convective core. In the decaying convective region, the traditional approach yields better agreement with observed magnitudes. Neither method, however, matches the geometry of the observed TB depression associated with the decaying convective core. This is likely due to the presence of graupel, which is not detected as a special signature in radar reflectivity, but does diminish TBs through scattering. Brightness temperatures at the relatively high microwave frequencies considered are shown to be very sensitive to the ice-particle size distribution.

Muller, Bradley M.↗
NASA NTRS2001

TRMM Precipitation Radar and Microwave Imager Observations of Convective and Stratiform Rain Over Land and Their Theoretical Implications

Observations of brightness temperature, Tb made over land regions by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) radiometer have been analyzed along with the nearly simultaneous measurements of the vertical profiles of reflectivity factor, Z, made by the Precipitation Radar (PR) onboard the TRMM satellite. This analysis is performed to explore the interrelationship between the TMI and PR data in areas that are covered predominantly by convective or stratiform rain. In particular, we have compared on a scale of 20 km, average vertical profiles of Z with the averages of Tbs in the 19, 37 and 85 GHz channels. Generally, we find from these data that as Z increases, Tbs in the three channels decrease due to extinction. In order to explain physically the relationship between the Tb and Z observations, we have performed radiative transfer simulations utilizing vertical profiles of hydrometeors applicable to convective and stratiform rain regions. These profiles are constructed taking guidance from the Z observations of PR and recent LDR and ZDR measurements made by land-based polarimetric radars.

Prabhakara, C.↗
NASA NTRS2002

A Method to Retrieve Rainfall Rate over Land from TRMM Observations

Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar (PR) observations over mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) reveal that there are localized maxima in the rain rate with a scale of about 10 to 20 km that represent thunderstorms (Cbs). Some of these Cbs are developing or intense, while others are decaying or weak. These Cbs constitute only about 20 % of the rain area of a given MCS. Outside of Cbs, the average rain rate is much weaker than that within Cbs. From an analysis of the PR data, we find that the spatial distribution of rain and its character, convective or stratiform, is highly inhomogeneous. This complex nature of rain exists on a scale comparable to that of a Cb. The 85 GHz brightness temperature, T85, observations of the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) radiometer taken over an MCS reflect closely the PR rain rate pattern over land. Local maxima in rain rate shown by PR are observed as local minima in T85. Where there are no minima in T85, PR observations indicate there is light rain. However, the TMI brightness temperature measurements (Tbs) have poor ability to discriminate convective rain from stratiform rain. For this reason, a TMI rain retrieval procedure that depends primarily on the magnitude of Tbs performs poorly. In order to retrieve rain rate from TMI data on land one has to include the spatial distribution information deduced from the T85 data in the retrieval method. Then, quantitative estimation of rain rate can be accomplished. A TMI rain retrieval method developed along these lines can yield estimates of rain rate and its frequency distribution which agree closely with that given by PR. We find the current TRMM project TMI (Version 5) rain retrieval algorithm on land could be improved with the retrieval scheme developed here. To support the conceptual frame work of the rain retrieval method developed here, a theoretical analysis of the TMI brightness temperatures in convective and stratiform regions is presented.

Prabhakara, C.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Measurement of Low Amounts of Precipitable Water Vapor Using Ground-Based Millimeterwave Radiometry

Extremely dry conditions characterized by amounts of precipitable water vapor (PWV) as as 1-2 mm commonly occur in high-latitude regions during the winter months. While such atmospheres carry only a few percent of the latent heat energy compared to tropical atmospheres, the effects of low vapor amounts on the polar radiation budget - both directly through modulation of longwave radiation and indirectly through the formation of clouds - are considerable. Accurate measurements of precipitable water vapor (PWV) during such dry conditions are needed to improve polar radiation models for use in understanding and predicting change in the climatically sensitive polar regions. To this end, the strong water vapor absorption at 183.310 GHz provides a unique means of measuring low amounts of PWV. Weighting function analysis, forward model calculations based upon a 7-year radiosonde dataset, and retrieval simulations consistently predict that radiometric measurements made using several millimeter-wavelength (MMW) channels near the 183 GHz line, together with established microwave (MW) measurements at the 22.235 GHz water vapor line and -3 1 GHz atmospheric absorption window can be used to determine within 5% uncertainty the full range of PWV expected in the Arctic. This unique collective capability stands in spite of accuracy limitations stemming from uncertainties due to the sensitivity of the vertical distribution of temperature and water vapor at MMW channels. In this study the potential of MMW radiometry using the 183 GHz line for measuring low amounts of PWV is demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally. The study uses data obtained during March 1999 as part of an experiment conducted at the Department of Energy s Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART) near Barrow, Alaska. Several radiometers from both NOAA and NASA were deployed during the experiment to provide the first combined MMW and MW ground-based data set during dry arctic conditions. Single-channel retrievals of PWV were performed using the MW and MMW data. Discrepancies in the retrieved values were found to be consistent with differences observed between measured brightness temperatures (TBs) and forward-modeled TBs based on concurrent radiosonde profiles. These discrepancies are greater than can be explained by measurement error alone and are attributed to absorption model uncertainty. We discuss here the measurements, retrieval technique, and line model discrepancies along with difficulties and potential of MMW/MW PWV measurement.

Racette, Paul E.↗
NASA NTRS2011

A Case Study of Using a Multilayered Thermodynamical Snow Model for Radiance Assimilation

A microwave radiance assimilation (RA) scheme for the retrieval of snow physical state variables requires a snowpack physical model (SM) coupled to a radiative transfer model. In order to assimilate microwave brightness temperatures (Tbs) at horizontal polarization (h-pol), an SM capable of resolving melt-refreeze crusts is required. To date, it has not been shown whether an RA scheme is tractable with the large number of state variables present in such an SM or whether melt-refreeze crust densities can be estimated. In this paper, an RA scheme is presented using the CROCUS SM which is capable of resolving melt-refreeze crusts. We assimilated both vertical (v) and horizontal (h) Tbs at 18.7 and 36.5 GHz. We found that assimilating Tb at both h-pol and vertical polarization (v-pol) into CROCUS dramatically improved snow depth estimates, with a bias of 1.4 cm compared to-7.3 cm reported by previous studies. Assimilation of both h-pol and v-pol led to more accurate results than assimilation of v-pol alone. The snow water equivalent (SWE) bias of the RA scheme was 0.4 cm, while the bias of the SWE estimated by an empirical retrieval algorithm was -2.9 cm. Characterization of melt-refreeze crusts via an RA scheme is demonstrated here for the first time; the RA scheme correctly identified the location of melt-refreeze crusts observed in situ.

Toure, Ally M.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Optimization of a Radiative Transfer Forward Operator for Simulating SMOS Brightness Temperatures over the Upper Mississippi Basin, USA

The Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite mission is routinely providing global multi-angular observations of brightness temperature (TB) at both horizontal and vertical polarization with a 3-day repeat period. The assimilation of such data into a land surface model (LSM) may improve the skill of operational flood forecasts through an improved estimation of soil moisture (SM). To accommodate for the direct assimilation of the SMOS TB data, the LSM needs to be coupled with a radiative transfer model (RTM), serving as a forward operator for the simulation of multi-angular and multi-polarization top of atmosphere TBs. This study investigates the use of the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) LSM coupled with the Community Microwave Emission Modelling platform (CMEM) for simulating SMOS TB observations over the Upper Mississippi basin, USA. For a period of 2 years (2010-2011), a comparison between SMOS TBs and simulations with literature-based RTM parameters reveals a basin averaged bias of 30K. Therefore, time series of SMOS TB observations are used to investigate ways for mitigating these large biases. Specifically, the study demonstrates the impact of the LSM soil moisture climatology in the magnitude of TB biases. After CDF matching the SM climatology of the LSM to SMOS retrievals, the average bias decreases from 30K to less than 5K. Further improvements can be made through calibration of RTM parameters related to the modeling of surface roughness and vegetation. Consequently, it can be concluded that SM rescaling and RTM optimization are efficient means for mitigating biases and form a necessary preparatory step for data assimilation.

SMOS↗
NASA NTRS2016

Recommended Methods for Monitoring Skeletal Health in Astronauts to Distinguish Specific Effects of Prolonged Spaceflight

NASA uses areal bone mineral density (aBMD) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to monitor skeletal health in astronauts after typical 180-day spaceflights. The osteoporosis field and NASA, however, recognize the insufficiency of DXA aBMD as a sole surrogate for fracture risk. This is an even greater concern for NASA as it attempts to expand fracture risk assessment in astronauts, given the complicated nature of spaceflight-induced bone changes and the fact that multiple 1-year missions are planned. In the past decade, emerging analyses for additional surrogates have been tested in clinical trials; the potential use of these technologies to monitor the biomechanical integrity of the astronaut skeleton will be presented. OVERVIEW: An advisory panel of osteoporosis policy-makers provided NASA with an evidence-based assessment of astronaut biomedical and research data. The panel concluded that spaceflight and terrestrial bone loss have significant differences and certain factors may predispose astronauts to premature fractures. Based on these concerns, a proposed surveillance program is presented which a) uses Quantitative Computed Tomography (QCT) scans of the hip to monitor the recovery of spaceflight-induced deficits in trabecular BMD by 2 years after return, b) develops Finite Element Models [FEM] of QCT data to evaluate spaceflight effect on calculated hip bone strength and c) generates Trabecular Bone Score [TBS] from serial DXA scans of the lumbar spine to evaluate the effect of age, spaceflight and countermeasures on this novel index of bone microarchitecture. SIGNIFICANCE: DXA aBMD is a widely-applied, evidence-based predictor for fractures but not applicable as a fracture surrogate for premenopausal females and males <50 years. Its inability to detect structural parameters is a limitation for assessing changes in bone integrity with and without countermeasures. Collective use of aBMD, TBS, QCT, and FEM analysis for astronaut surveillance could accommodate NASA's aggressive schedule for risk definition and inform a NASA-developed model which assesses the probability of overloading bones during mechanically-loaded mission tasks and possibly for physical activities after return to Earth.

Vasadi, Lukas J.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Empirical Hydrometeor Type Identification from GMI Brightness Temperature Measurements

Brightness temperatures (TB) from GMI and related sensors contain information about the types and amounts of precipitation particles in a column. Approaches like GPROF or machine learning are good for providing precipitation estimates and other quantified information, but it can be difficult to understand why / how a given set of TBs traces to a given retrieval solution. Outlier TBs that are not well-represented in a training sample can lead to dubious solutions. Our goal is to use the scattering signatures at multiple frequencies to determine whether hail is present, or otherwise graupel, or otherwise snow, or otherwise liquid rain without a substantial precipitation ice component. (A hierarchical approach is employed, so a prediction of hail can include the presence of all other categories, but a prediction of snow implies a lack of graupel or hail, and a prediction of liquid rain implies a lack of any detectable precipitation ice.)

Daniel J. Cecil↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Hydrometeor Identification from GMI Radiometer, Trained Using Polarimetric Radar

Brightness temperatures (TB) from GMI and related sensors contain information about the types and amounts of precipitation particles in a column. Approaches like GPROF or machine learning are good for providing precipitation estimates and other quantified information, but it can be difficult to understand why / how a given set of TBs traces to a given retrieval solution. Outlier TBs that are not well-represented in a training sample can lead to dubious solutions. Our goal is to use the scattering signatures at multiple frequencies to determine whether hail is present, or otherwise graupel, or otherwise snow, or otherwise liquid rain without a substantial precipitation ice component. (A hierarchical approach is employed, so a prediction of hail can include the presence of all other categories, but a prediction of snow implies a lack of graupel or hail, and a prediction of liquid rain implies a lack of any detectable precipitation ice.)

Daniel J. Cecil↗
NASA NTRS1987

Microgravity fluid management in two-phase thermal systems

Initial studies have indicated that in comparison to an all liquid single phase system, a two-phase liquid/vapor thermal control system requires significantly lower pumping power, demonstrates more isothermal control characteristics, and allows greater operational flexibility in heat load placement. As a function of JSC's Work Package responsibility for thermal management of space station equipment external to the pressurized modules, prototype development programs were initiated on the Two-Phase Thermal Bus System (TBS) and the Space Erectable Radiator System (SERS). JSC currently has several programs underway to enhance the understanding of two-phase fluid flow characteristics. The objective of one of these programs (sponsored by the Microgravity Science and Applications Division at NASA-Headquarters) is to design, fabricate, and fly a two-phase flow regime mapping experiment in the Shuttle vehicle mid-deck. Another program, sponsored by OAST, involves the testing of a two-phase thermal transport loop aboard the KC-135 reduced gravity aircraft to identify system implications of pressure drop variation as a function of the flow quality and flow regime present in a representative thermal system.

Parish, Richard C.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Effect of bond coat creep and oxidation on TBC integrity

The potential of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) on high-pressure turbine (HPT) nozzles and blades is limited at present by the inability to quantitatively predict TBC life for these components. The goal is to isolate the major TBC failure mechanisms, which is part of the larger program aimed at developing TBC life prediction models. Based on the results of experiments to isolate TBC failure mechanisms, the effects of bond coat oxidation and bond coat creep on TBC integrity is discussed. In bond coat oxidation experiments, Rene prime 80 specimens coated with a NiCrAlY/ZrO2-8 percent Y2O3 TBC received isothermal pre-exposures at 2000 F in static argon, static air, or received no pre-exposure. The effects of oxidation due to the pre-exposures were determined by thermal cycle tests in both static air and static argon at 2000 F. To study the effect of bond coat creep on TBS behavior, four bond coats with different creep properties were evaluated by thermal cycle tests in air at 2000 F. The test results, the relative importance of these two failure mechanisms, and how their effects may be quantified will also be discussed.

Duderstadt, E. C.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Satellite Remote Sensing of Fires, Smoke and Regional Radiative Energy Budgets

Using satellite imagery, more than five million square kilometers of the forest and cerrado regions over South America are extensively studied to monitor fires and smoke during the 1985 and 1986 biomass burning season. The results are characterized for four major eco-systems, namely: (1) Tropical Rain Forest (TRF), (2) Tropical Broadleaf Seasonal (TBS), (3) Mild/Warm/Hot Grass/Shrub (MGS), and (4) Savanna/Grass and Seasonal Woods (SGW). Using collocated measurements from the instantaneous scanner Earth Radiation Budget Experiment [ERBE) data, the direct regional radiative forcing of biomass burning aerosols are computed. The results show that more than 70% of the fires occur in the MGS and SGW eco-systems due to agricultural practices. The smoke generated from biomass burning has negative net radiative forcing values for all four major ecosystems within South America. The smoke found directly over the fires have mean net radiative forcing values ranging between -25.6 to -33.9 W/sq m for 1985 and between -12.9 to -40.8 W/sq m for 1986. These results confirm that the regional net radiative impact of biomass burning is one of cooling.

Christopher, Sundar A.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Remote Heat Flux Using a Self Calibration Multiwavelength Pyrometer and a Transparent Material

A self calibrating multiwavelength pyrometer was used to conduct remote heat flux measurements using a transparent sapphire disk by determining the sapphire disk's front and back surface temperatures. Front surface temperature (Tfs) was obtained from detection of surface emitted radiation at long wavelengths (k = 6 gm). Back surface temperature (Tbs) was obtained from short wavelength (1 to 5 gm) radiation transmitted through the sapphire disk. The thermal conductivity of the sapphire disk and the heat transfer coefficients h, and h2 of its surfaces are determined experimentally. An analysis of the heat flux measurement is presented.

Ng, Daniel↗
NASA NTRS1998

Remote Heat Flux Measurement Using a Self Calibration Multiwavelength Pyrometer and a Transparent Material

A self calibrating multiwavelength pyrometer was used to conduct remote heat flux measurements using a transparent sapphire disk by determining the sapphire disk's front and back surface temperatures. Front surface temperature (Tfs) was obtained from detection of surface emitted radiation at long wavelengths (lambda > 6 micrometers). Back surface temperature (Tbs) was obtained from short wavelength (1 to 5 micrometers) radiation transmitted through the sapphire disk. The thermal conductivity k of the sapphire disk and the heat transfer coefficients h(sub 1) and h(sub 2) of its surfaces are determined experimentally. An analysis of the heat flux measurement is presented.

Ng, Daniel↗
NASA NTRS1999

Improved Algorithm to Estimate Convective and Stratiform Rain from TRMM Microwave Radiometer Data

The rain rates associated with Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCSS) deduced from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar (PR) follow the well known log-normal type frequency distribution characteristic of conventional radars and rain gauges. On the other hand, the current microwave radiometer rain retrieval algorithms cannot give good representations of convective and stratiform precipitation. Thus they capture poorly this log-normal character. In particular, this is noticed clearly over land areas. The objective of the present study is to improve TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) retrievals of convective and stratiform rain to a level comparable to the PR. For this purpose, we have developed a TMI rain retrieval algorithm that depends primarily on the 85 GHz brightness temperatures (Tbs) and their spatial distribution. We emphasize the 85 GHz channel because of its fine footprint size (about 5.5 km) and strong extinction property. The other spectral channels, because they are poorer in these respects, are given less importance. The brightness temperatures and spatial distribution information in the 85 GHz allows us to detect thunderstorms, or cumulonimbus clouds (Cbs), that are in different stages of development, as well as stratiform rain outside of these Cbs. Utilizing our retrieval technique, we have produced maps of convective and stratiform rain for several MCS events over land and ocean that agree well with those given by the PR. On average, the convective and stratiform rain rates given by our technique have an accuracy of about 15 % with respect to those given by the PR.

Prabhakara, C.↗
NASA NTRS1997

The Effects of Laterite and Associated Terrain Components on PBMR Response in HAPEX-Sahel

Terrain characteristics such as roughness and vegetation have been shown to significantly affect the interpretation of microwave brightness temperatures (T(B)s) for mapping soil moisture. This study, a part of the 1992 HAPEX-Sahel experiment (Hydrologic Atmospheric Pilot Experiment in the Sahel), aimed to determine the effects of laterite and associated terrain components (i.e. vegetation, soil, and exposed water bodies) on the T(B) response of the Pushbroom Microwave Radiometer (PBMR, L-band, 21 cm wavelength), using the NS001 Thematic Mapper Simulator data as a surrogate for ground data. Coincident PBMR and NS001 data acquired from the high altitude (about 1500 m) long transect flights were processed to obtain TBs and radiances, respectively. The transects covered a range of moisture conditions. For this preliminary evaluation, no atmospheric corrections were applied, and the data sets were aligned by matching the acquisition times of the data records. NS001 pixels (about 4 m) were averaged to approximate the resolution of the PBMR (about 450 m), before their flight line data were compared. The laterite plateaux were found to have a surprisingly strong effect on the PBMR T(B) response. T(B) variations along the flight line could largely be explained by a combination of density and dielectric properties of laterite. The effect of surface moisture was distinguishable from the laterite effect, with the distinction apparently related to the occurrence of ephemeral pools of water after rainfall. Model simulated T(B)s agreed reasonably well with the observed T(B)s.

Teng, William L.↗
NASA NTRS2006

JMR Noise Diode Stability and Recalibration Methodology after Three Years On-Orbit

The Jason Microwave Radiometer (JMR) is included on the Jason-1 ocean altimeter satellite to measure the wet tropospheric path delay (PD) experienced by the radar altimeter signal. JMR is nadir pointing and measures the radiometric brightness temperature (T(sub B)) at 18.7, 23.8 and 34.0 GHz. JMR is a Dicke radiometer and it is the first radiometer to be flown in space that uses noise diodes for calibration. Therefore, monitoring the long term stability of the noise diodes is essential. Each channel has three redundant noise diodes which are individually coupled into the antenna signal to provide an estimate of the gain. Two significant jumps in the JMR path delays, relative to ground truth, were observed around 300 and 700 days into the mission. Slow drifts in the retrieved products were also evident over the entire mission. During a recalibration effort, it was determined that a single set of calibration coefficients was not able to remove the calibration jumps and drifts, suggesting that there was a change in the hardware and time dependent coefficients would be required. To facilitate the derivation of time dependent coefficients, an optimal estimation based calibration system was developed which iteratively determines that set of calibration coefficients which minimize the RMS difference between the JMR TBs and on-Earth hot and cold absolute references. This optimal calibration algorithm was used to fine tune the front end path loss coefficients and derive a time series of the JMR noise diode brightness temperatures for each of the nine diodes. Jumps and drifts, on the order of 1% to 2%, are observed among the noise diodes in the first three years on-orbit.

Jason 1↗