Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “insolation”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 361 records · Page 20
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

Solar radiation on Mars: Update 1991

Detailed information on solar radiation characteristics on Mars are necessary for effective design of future planned solar energy systems operating on the surface of Mars. A procedure and solar radiation related data are presented from which the daily variation of the global, direct beam and diffuse insolation on Mars are calculated. Given the optical depth of the Mars atmosphere, the global radiation is calculated from the normalized net flux function based on multiple wavelength and multiple scattering of the solar radiation. The direct beam was derived from the optical depth using Beer's law, and the diffuse component was obtained from the difference of the global and the direct beam radiation. The optical depths of the Mars atmosphere were derived from images taken of the Sun with a special diode on the cameras used on the two Viking Landers.

Appelbaum, Joseph↗
NASA NTRS1990

The effect of volume phase changes, mass transport, sunlight penetration, and densification on the thermal regime of icy regoliths

The present quantitative modeling of convective, condensational, and sublimational effects on porous ice crust volumes subjected to solar radiation encompasses the effect of such insolation's penetration of visible bandpass-translucent light, but opaque to the IR bandpass. Quasi-steady-state temperatures, H2O mass fluxes, and ice mass-density change rates are computed as functions of time of day and ice depth. When the effects of latent heat and mass transport are included in the model, the enhancement of near-surface temperature due to the 'solid-state greenhouse effect' is substantially diminished. When latent heat, mass transport, and densification effects are considered, however, a significant solid-state greenhouse effect is shown to be compatible with both morphological evidence for high crust strengths and icy shell decoupling from the lithosphere.

Fanale, Fraser P.↗
NASA NTRS1990

An increase of early rains in southern Israel following land-use change?

Rains at the onset of the October-April rainy season in southern Israel have steeply increased in the last 25 years relative to the previous 20 years, and are accompanied by an appreciable general increase of rainy-season rainfall. This increase in precipitation is specifically attributable to an intensification of the convection and advection processes due to afforestation and increased cultivation-induced enhancement of the daytime sensible heat flux from the generally dry surface; the enhancement proceeds from both the reduced surface albedo and the reduced soil heat flux in October, when insolation is strong. Greater daytime convection can lead to penetration of inversions capping the planetary boundary layer, while strengthened advection can furnish moist air from the Mediterranean.

Otterman, J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Solar radiation on Mars

Detailed information on solar radiation characteristics on Mars are necessary for effective design of future planned solar energy systems operating on the surface of Mars. Presented here is a procedure and solar radiation related data from which the diurnally, hourly and daily variation of the global, direct beam and diffuse insolation on Mars are calculated. The radiation data are based on measured optical depth of the Martian atmosphere derived from images taken of the sun with a special diode on the Viking cameras; and computation based on multiple wavelength and multiple scattering of the solar radiation.

Appelbaum, Joseph↗
NASA NTRS1991

Duration of liquid water habitats on early Mars

The duration of ice-covered lakes after the initial freezing of the early Mars is presently estimated via a climate model whose critical parameter is the existence of peak seasonal temperatures above freezing, and in which the variability of insolation is included. Under conditions in which meltwater was supplied by an ice source, it is found that water habitats could have been maintained under relatively thin ice sheets for as many as 700 million years after the onset of below-freezing global temperatures. The duration of such habitats on the early Mars therefore exceeds the upper limit of the time envisioned for the emergence of aquatic life on earth.

Mckay, Christopher P.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Power electronic applications for Space Station Freedom

NASA plans to orbit a permanently manned space station in the late 1990s, which requires development and assembly of a photovoltaic (PV) power source system to supply up to 75 kW of electrical power average during the orbital period. The electrical power requirements are to be met by a combination of PV source, storage, and control elements for the sun and eclipse periods. The authors discuss the application of power electronics and controls to manage the generation, storage, and distribution of power to meet the station loads, as well as the computer models used for analysis and simulation of the PV power system. The requirements for power source integrated controls to adjust storage charge power during the insolation period current limiting, breaker interrupt current values, and the electrical fault protection approach are defined. Based on these requirements, operating concepts have been defined which then become drivers for specific system and element design.

Pickrell, Roy L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

High altitude AM0 testing of PV concentrator lens elements

Recently, the NASA Lewis Research Center modified its Lear High Altitude Test Facility to fly two prototype ENTECH minidome Fresnel lens photovoltaic concentrator elements. The tests were highly successful, and the results verified the ability of the Lear High Altitude Facility to measure the optical performance of individual concentrator lens elements and concentrator/cell combinations at near AM0 insolation conditions. The two concentrator lenses flown achieved optical efficiencies, based on a gallium arsenide concentrator cell response, of 89.8 percent and 90.0 percent. The flights demonstrated the ability of the aircraft to maintain the pointing accuracy required to obtain useful data. With proper alignment of the collimating tube and the pilot's sunsight, this facility could easily maintain a pointing accuracy of + or - 0.5 deg for a sufficiently long time to obtain accurate, reproducible results.

Piszczor, M. F.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Design considerations for Mars photovoltaic power systems

Considerations for operation of a photovoltaic power system on Mars are discussed with reference to Viking Lander data. The average solar insolation at Mars is 590 W/sq m, which is reduced yet further by atmospheric dust. Of major concern are dust storms, which have been observed to occur on local as well as on global scales, and their effect on solar array output. While atmospheric opacity may rise to values ranging from 3 to 9, depending on storm severity, there is still an appreciable large diffuse illumination, even at high opacities, so that photovoltaic operation is still possible. If the power system is to continue to generate power even on high-optical-opacity (i.e., dusty atmosphere) days, it is important that the photovoltaic system be designed to collect diffuse irradiance as well as direct. Energy storage will be required for operation during the night. Temperature and wind provide additional considerations for array design.

Landis, Geoffrey A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Reconstruction of Caribbean climate change over the past 10,500 years

A high-resolution reconstruction of Caribbean climate is presented based on O-18/O-16 ratios in ostracod shells from Lake Miragoane, Haiti. The variations which are found can be largely explained by orbitally induced variations in seasonal insolation which modified the intensity of the annual cycle.

Hodell, David A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Thermal models for icy satellites

The solid state greenhouse models were constrained for water ice surfaces using thermal eclipse data. As a result, it was determined that at depths of 3 cm or more Europa can have about a 30 K temperature enhancement over the diurnal mean surface temperature of about 97 K at the equator. It was also determined that the unusual shape of Europa's thermal flux curves during eclipses can be explained by the solid state greenhouse effect. The solid state greenhouse models were applied to the problem of the origin and energy sources of Triton's geyser-like plumes. Two classes of models are examined which may explain the driving energy for Triton's plumes. Triton's internal heatflow is recognized as a major contributor to its global energy balance. Internal heat flow from radioactive decay in Triton's interior along with absorbed thermal energy from Neptune total 5 to 20 pct. of the insolation absorbed by Triton, thus comprising a significant fraction of Triton's surface energy balance.

Brown, Robert H.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The role of nonuniform internal heating in Triton's energy budget

Triton's large heliocentric distance and high albedo, combined with its unusually large silicate mass fraction, make internal heating more important in its energy budget than in that of any other icy satellite. Brown et al. have recently estimated that the average radiogenic heat flux (which is probably between 3.3 and 6.6 mW/sq m depending on core size and composition) may equal 5 to 20 pct. of the average absorbed insolation. On a global scale, this additional energy input appreciably increases the thermal emissivity required to be consistent with the observed surface temperature. Brown et al. also speculated that spatial variations of the internal flux may change the local sublimation deposition balance enough to lead to observable modifications of the distribution of volatiles on Triton's surface. An attempt is made to estimate the magnitude of internal heat flux variations due to the insulating effect of the polar caps, to mantle convection, and to cryovolcanism; the importance is evaluated of these variations in modifying the volatile distribution.

Kirk, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Solar radiation for Mars power systems

Detailed information about the solar radiation characteristics on Mars are necessary for effective design of future planned solar energy systems operating on the surface of Mars. A procedure and solar radiation related data from which the diurnally and daily variation of the global, direct (or beam), and diffuse insolation on Mars are calculated, are presented. The radiation data are based on measured optical depth of the Martian atmosphere derived from images taken of the Sun with a special diode on the Viking Lander cameras; and computation based on multiple wavelength and multiple scattering of the solar radiation.

Appelbaum, Joseph↗
NASA NTRS1991

Solar Pumped Lasers and Their Applications

Since 1980, NASA has been pursuing high power solar lasers as part of the space power beaming program. Materials in liquid, solid, and gas phases have been evaluated against the requirements for solar pumping. Two basic characteristics of solar insolation, namely its diffuse irradiance and 5800 K blackbody-like spectrum, impose rather stringent requirements for laser excitation. However, meeting these requirements is not insurmountable as solar thermal energy technology has progressed today, and taking advantage of solar pumping lasers is becoming increasingly attractive. The high density photons of concentrated solar energy have been used for mainly electric power generation and thermal processing of materials by the DOE Solar Thermal Technologies Program. However, the photons can interact with materials through many other direct kinetic paths, and applications of the concentrated photons could be extended to processes requiring photolysis, photosynthesis, and photoexcitation. The use of solar pumped lasers on Earth seems constrained by economics and sociopolitics. Therefore, prospective applications may be limited to those that require use of quantum effects and coherency of the laser in order to generate extremely high value products and services when conventional and inexpensive means are ineffective or impossible. The new applications already proposed for concentrated solar photons, such as destruction of hazardous waste, production of renewable fuel, production of fertilizer, and air/water pollution controls, may benefit from the use of inexpensive solar pumped laser matched with the photochemical kinetics of these processes.

Lee, Ja H.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Clouds, surface temperature, and the tropical and subtropical radiation budget

Solar energy drives both the Earth's climate and biosphere, but the absorbed energy is unevenly distributed over the Earth. The tropical regions receive excess energy which is then transported by atmospheric and ocean currents to the higher latitudes. All regions at a given latitude receive the same top of the atmosphere solar irradiance (insolation). However, the net radiation received from the Sun in the tropics and subtropics varies greatly from one region to another depending on local conditions. Over land, variations in surface albedo are important. Over both land and ocean, surface temperature, cloud amount, and cloud type are also important. The Nimbus-7 cloud and Earth radiation budget (ERB) data sets are used to examine the affect of these parameters.

Dhuria, Harbans L.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Advanced photovoltaic experiment, S0014: Preliminary flight results and post-flight findings

The Advanced Photovoltaic Experiment is a Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) experiment originally designed to provide reference solar cell standards for laboratory measurements as well as to investigate the solar spectrum and the effects of long term exposure of space solar cells to the low earth orbit (LEO) environment. The experiment functioned on-orbit as designed, successfully measuring and recording cell performance and solar insolation data over the first 325 days. The objectives and design of the experiment are presented as well as the preliminary flight results and postflight findings.

Brinker, David J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Solar radiation on a catenary collector

A tent-shaped structure with a flexible photovoltaic blanket acting as a catenary collector is presented. The shadow cast by one side of the collector produces a shadow on the other side of the collector. This self-shading effect is analyzed. The direct beam, the diffuse, and the albedo radiation on the collector are determined. An example is given for the insolation on the collector operating on Viking Lander 1 (VL1).

Crutchik, M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Effect of cloud cover and surface type on earth's radiation budget derived from the first year of ERBE data

One year of ERBE data is analyzed for variations in outgoing LW and absorbed solar flux. Differences in land and ocean radiation budgets as well as differences between clear-sky and total scenes, including clouds, are studied. The variation of monthly average radiative parameters is examined for February 1985 through January 1986 for selected study regions and on zonal and global scales. ERBE results show significant seasonal variations in both outgoing LW and absorbed SW flux, and a pronounced difference between oceanic and continental surfaces. The main factors determining cloud radiative forcing in a given region are solar insolation, cloud amount, cloud type, and surface properties. The strongest effects of clouds are found in the midlatitude storm tracks over the oceans. Over much of the globe, LW warming is balanced by SW cooling. The annual-global average net cloud forcing shows that clouds have a net cooling effect on the earth for the year.

Gibson, G. G.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Subsurface emissions from Mercury - VLA radio observations at 2 and 6 centimeters

Radio observations of Mercury made with the VLA; once in 1986, and on two dates in February of 1988 are presented. These observations are the first to spatially map both hot regions associated with the theoretical hot poles. These 'hot poles' are separated by 180 deg and are a result of the unusual diurnal heating from Mercury's 3/2 spin-orbit resonance and eccentric orbit. The highest resolution data maps areas of the planet as small as 330 km. Maps of total intensity, brightness temperature, polarized intensity, fractional polarization, depolarization, and spectral index are included. It is found that the subsurface thermal emissions from Mercury are characteristic of blackbody reradiation from the solar insolation over a diurnal cycle. These observations to produce full-disk thermophysical models are used. The one-dimensional, time-dependent heat-diffusion equation for all observed disk elements at each epoch in order to constrain thermophsyical parameters and properties of the subsurface material are solved. Using typical lunar values for several of the parameters, it is possible to reproduce the temperature morphology and most of the observed temperature values. It is found that the best-fit models require a substantial contribution of the heat transport in the subsurface to be radiative in nature. The primary difficulty in the models is in predicting the observed temperature differences as a function of frequency.

Ledlow, Michael J.↗