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At least 397 records · Page 22
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NASA NTRS2016

Experimental Verification of Buffet Calculation Procedure Using Unsteady PSP

Typically a limited number of dynamic pressure sensors are employed to determine the unsteady aerodynamic forces on large, slender aerospace structures. The estimated forces are known to be very sensitive to the number of the dynamic pressure sensors and the details of the integration scheme. This report describes a robust calculation procedure, based on frequency-specific correlation lengths, that is found to produce good estimation of fluctuating forces from a few dynamic pressure sensors. The validation test was conducted on a flat panel, placed on the floor of a wind tunnel, and was subjected to vortex shedding from a rectangular bluff-body. The panel was coated with fast response Pressure Sensitive Paint (PSP), which allowed time-resolved measurements of unsteady pressure fluctuations on a dense grid of spatial points. The first part of the report describes the detail procedure used to analyze the high-speed, PSP camera images. The procedure includes steps to reduce contamination by electronic shot noise, correction for spatial non-uniformities, and lamp brightness variation, and finally conversion of fluctuating light intensity to fluctuating pressure. The latter involved applying calibration constants from a few dynamic pressure sensors placed at selective points on the plate. Excellent comparison in the spectra, coherence and phase, calculated via PSP and dynamic pressure sensors validated the PSP processing steps. The second part of the report describes the buffet validation process, for which the first step was to use pressure histories from all PSP points to determine the "true" force fluctuations. In the next step only a selected number of pixels were chosen as "virtual sensors" and a correlation-length based buffet calculation procedure was applied to determine "modeled" force fluctuations. By progressively decreasing the number of virtual sensors it was observed that the present calculation procedure was able to make a close estimate of the "true" unsteady forces only from four sensors. It is believed that the present work provides the first validation of the buffet calculation procedure which has been used for the development of many space vehicles.

Buffet↗
NASA NTRS2016

Particle Streak Velocimetry of Supersonic Nozzle Flows

A novel velocimetry technique to probe the exhaust flow of a laboratory scale combustor is being developed. The technique combines the advantages of standard particle velocimetry techniques and the ultra-fast imaging capabilities of a streak camera to probe high speed flows near continuously with improved spatial and velocity resolution. This "Particle Streak Velocimetry" technique tracks laser illuminated seed particles at up to 236 picosecond temporal resolution allowing time-resolved measurement of one-dimensional flows exceeding 2000 m/s as are found in rocket nozzles and many other applications. Developmental tests with cold nitrogen have been performed to validate and troubleshoot the technique with supersonic flows of much lower velocity and without background noise due to combusting flow. Flow velocities on the order of 500 m/s have been probed with titanium dioxide particles and a continuous-wave laser diode. Single frame images containing multiple streaks are analyzed to find the average slope of all incident particles corresponding to the centerline axial flow velocity. Long term objectives for these tests are correlation of specific impulse to theoretical combustion predictions and direct comparisons between candidate green fuels and the industry standard, monomethylhydrazine, each tested under identical conditions.

Willits, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Wavenumber-frequency Spectra of Pressure Fluctuations Measured via Fast Response Pressure Sensitive Paint

The recent advancement in fast-response Pressure-Sensitive Paint (PSP) allows time-resolved measurements of unsteady pressure fluctuations from a dense grid of spatial points on a wind tunnel model. This capability allows for direct calculations of the wavenumber-frequency (k-ω) spectrum of pressure fluctuations. Such data, useful for the vibro-acoustics analysis of aerospace vehicles, are difficult to obtain otherwise. For the present work, time histories of pressure fluctuations on a flat plate subjected to vortex shedding from a rectangular bluff-body were measured using PSP. The light intensity levels in the photographic images were then converted to instantaneous pressure histories by applying calibration constants, which were calculated from a few dynamic pressure sensors placed at selective points on the plate. Fourier transform of the time-histories from a large number of spatial points provided k-ω spectra for pressure fluctuations. The data provides first glimpse into the possibility of creating detailed forcing functions for vibro-acoustics analysis of aerospace vehicles, albeit for a limited frequency range.

Pressure Sensitive Paint↗
NASA NTRS2017

A Plenoptic Multi-Color Imaging Pyrometer

A three-color pyrometer has been developed based on plenoptic imaging technology. Three bandpass filters placed in front of a camera lens allow separate 2D images to be obtained on a single image sensor at three different and adjustable wavelengths selected by the user. Images were obtained of different black- or grey-bodies including a calibration furnace, a radiation heater, and a luminous sulfur match flame. The images obtained of the calibration furnace and radiation heater were processed to determine 2D temperature distributions. Calibration results in the furnace showed that the instrument can measure temperature with an accuracy and precision of 10 Kelvins between 1100 and 1350 K. Time-resolved 2D temperature measurements of the radiation heater are shown.

Danehy, Paul M.↗
NASA NTRS2016

CGRO/BATSE Data Support the New Paradigm For GRB Prompt Emission and the New L-i(nTh)-E-peak,i(nTh,rest) Relation

The paradigm for gamma-ray burst (GRB) prompt emission is changing. Since early in the Compton Gamma RayObservatory (CGRO) era, the empirical Band function has been considered a good description of the keV-MeV-gamma-ray prompt emission spectra despite the fact that its shape was very often inconsistent with the theoretical predictions, especially those expected in pure synchrotron emission scenarios. We have recently established a new observational model analyzing data of the NASA Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. In this model, GRB prompt emission would be a combination of three main emission components: (i) a thermal-like component that we have interpreted so far as emission from the jet photosphere, (ii) a non-thermal component that we have interpreted so far as either synchrotron radiation from the propagating and accelerated charged particles within the jet or reprocessed jet photospheric emission, and (iii) an additional non-thermal (cutoff) power law (PL) extending from low to high energies in gamma-rays and most likely of inverse Compton origin. In this article we reanalyze some of the bright GRBs, namely GRBs 941017, 970111, and 990123, observed with the Burst And Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) on board CGRO with the new model. We conclude that BATSE data for these three GRBs are fully consistent with the recent results obtained with Fermi: some bright BATSE GRBs exhibit three separate components during the prompt phase with similar spectral parameters as those reported from Fermi data. In addition, the analysis of the BATSE GRBs with the new prompt emission model results in a relation between the time-resolved energy flux of the non-thermal component, F(in)(Th), and its corresponding nuFnu spectral peak energy,Epeak,inTh (i.e., FinThEpeak,inTh ), which has a similar index when fitted to a PL as the one initially derived from Fermi data. For GRBs with known redshifts (z) this results in a possible universal relation between the luminosity of the non-thermal component, LinTh, and its corresponding nuFnu spectral peak energy in the rest frame, Epeak,iNT,rest (i.e.,LinThEpeak,iNT,rest). We estimated the redshifts of GRBs 941017 and 970111 using GRB 990123 with z = 1.61as a reference. The estimated redshift for GRB 941017 is typical for long GRBs and the estimated redshift for GRB970111 is right in the range of the expected values for this burst.

acceleration of particles – black hole physics â↗
NASA NTRS2017

Recent Developments in X-Ray Diagnostics for Cryogenic and Optically Dense Coaxial Rocket Sprays

The mixing and atomization of propellants is often characterized by optically dense flow fields and complex breakup dynamics. In the development of propulsion systems, the complexity of relevant physics and the range of spatio-temporal scales often makes computational simulation impractical for full scale injector elements; consequently, continued research into improved systems for experimental flow diagnostics is ongoing. One area of non-invasive flow diagnostics which has seen widespread growth is using synchrotron based x-ray diagostics. Over the past 3 years, a series of water and cryogenic based experiments were performed at the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Lab, on a NASA in-house designed swirl co-axial rocket injector, designed for operation using liquid oxygen and liquid methane in support of Project Morpheus. A range of techniques, such as x-ray fluorescence and time-averaged radiography were performed providing qualitative and quantitative mass and phase distributions, and were complemented by investigations using time-resolved radiography and white beam imaging, which provided information on breakup and mixing dynamics. Results of these investigations are presented, and conclusions regarding the viability of x-ray based diagnostics are discussed.

Radke, Christopher D.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Time Resolved Stereo Particle Image Velocimetry Measurements of the Instabilities Downstream of a Backward-Facing Step in a Swept-Wing Boundary Layer

Time-resolved particle image velocimetry (TRPIV) measurements are performed down-stream of a swept backward-facing step, with a height of 49% of the boundary-layer thickness. The results agree well qualitatively with previously reported hotwire measurements, though the amplitudes of the fluctuating components measured using TRPIV are higher. Nonetheless, the low-amplitude instabilities in the flow are fairly well resolved using TR- PIV. Proper orthogonal decomposition is used to study the development of the traveling cross flow and Tollmien-Schlichting (TS) instabilities downstream of the step and to study how they interact to form the large velocity spikes that ultimately lead to transition. A secondary mode within the traveling cross flow frequency band develops with a wavelength close to that of the stationary cross flow instability, so that at a certain point in the phase, it causes an increase in the spanwise modulation initially caused by the stationary cross flow mode. This increased modulation leads to an increase in the amplitude of the TS mode, which, itself, is highly modulated through interactions with the stationary cross flow. When the traveling cross flow and TS modes align in time and space, the large velocity spikes occur. Thus, these three instabilities, which are individually of low amplitude when the spikes start to occur (U'rms/Ue <0.03), interact and combine to cause a large flow disturbance that eventually leads to transition.

Eppink, Jenna L.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Gridded National Inventory of U.S. Methane Emissions

We present a gridded inventory of US anthropogenic methane emissions with 0.1 deg x 0.1 deg spatial resolution, monthly temporal resolution, and detailed scale dependent error characterization. The inventory is designed to be onsistent with the 2016 US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissionsand Sinks (GHGI) for 2012. The EPA inventory is available only as national totals for different source types. We use a widerange of databases at the state, county, local, and point source level to disaggregate the inventory and allocate the spatial and temporal distribution of emissions for individual source types. Results show large differences with the EDGAR v4.2 global gridded inventory commonly used as a priori estimate in inversions of atmospheric methane observations. We derive grid-dependent error statistics for individual source types from comparison with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) regional inventory for Northeast Texas. These error statistics are independently verified by comparison with the California Greenhouse Gas Emissions Measurement (CALGEM) grid-resolved emission inventory. Our gridded, time-resolved inventory provides an improved basis for inversion of atmospheric methane observations to estimate US methane emissions and interpret the results in terms of the underlying processes.

Methane↗
NASA NTRS2017

The First Brown Dwarf Discovered by the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 Citizen Science Project

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) is a powerful tool for finding nearby brown dwarfs and searching for new planets in the outer solar system, especially with the incorporation of NEOWISE and NEOWISE Reactivation data. However, so far, searches for brown dwarfs in WISE data have yet to take advantage of the full depth of the WISE images. To efficiently search this unexplored space via visual inspection, we have launched anew citizen science project, called "Backyard Worlds: Planet 9," which asks volunteers to examine short animations composed of difference images constructed from time-resolved WISE co adds. We report the first new substellar object discovered by this project, WISEA J110125.95+540052.8, a T5.5 brown dwarf located approximately 34 pc from the Sun with a total proper motion of approx.0. "7/ yr. WISEA J110125.95+540052.8 has a WISE W2 magnitude of W2 = 15.37+/- 0.09; our sensitivity to this source demonstrates the ability of citizen scientists to identify moving objects via visual inspection that are 0.9 mag fainter than the W2 single-exposure sensitivity, a threshold that has limited prior motion-based brown dwarf searches with WISE.

Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)↗
NASA NTRS2017

STROBE-X: X-Ray Timing Spectroscopy on Dynamical Timescales from Microseconds to Years

We describe a probe-class mission concept that provides an unprecedented view of the X-ray sky, performing timing and 0.2-30 keV spectroscopy over timescales from microseconds to years. The Spectroscopic Time-Resolving Observatory for Broadband Energy X-rays (STROBE-X) comprises three primary instruments. The first uses an array of lightweight optics (3-m focal length) that concentrate incident photons onto solid state detectors with CCD-level (85-130 eV) energy resolution, 100 ns time resolution, and low background rates to cover the 0.2-12 keV band. This technology is scaled up from NICER, with enhanced optics to take advantage of the longer focal length of STROBE-X. The second uses large-area collimated silicon drift detectors, developed for ESA's LOFT, to cover the 2-30 keV band. These two instruments each provide an order of magnitude improvement in effective area compared with its predecessor (NICER and RXTE, respectively). Finally, a sensitive sky monitor triggers pointed observations, provides high duty cycle, high time resolution, high spectral resolution monitoring of the X-ray sky with approx. 20 times the sensitivity of the RXTE ASM, and enables multi-wavelength and multi-messenger studies on a continuous, rather than scanning basis.For the first time, the broad coverage provides simultaneous study of thermal components, non-thermal components, iron lines, and reflection features from a single platform for accreting black holes at all scales. The enormous collecting area allows detailed studies of the dense matter equation of state using both thermal emission from rotation-powered pulsars and harder emission from X-ray burst oscillations. The combination of the wide-field monitor and the sensitive pointed instruments enables observations of potential electromagnetic counterparts to LIGO and neutrino events. Additional extragalactic science, such as high quality spectroscopy of clusters of galaxies and unprecedented timing investigations of active galactic nuclei, is also obtained.

STROBE-X X-ray↗
NASA NTRS2017

Photospheric Emission in the Joint GBM and Konus Prompt Spectra of GRB 120323A

GRB 120323A is a very intense short gamma-ray burst (GRB) detected simultaneously during its prompt gamma-ray emission phase with the Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM) on board the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope and the Konus experiment on board the Wind satellite. GBM and Konus operate in the kiloelectronvolt - megaelectronvolt regime; however, the GBM range is broader toward both the low and the high parts of the gamma-ray spectrum. Analyses of such bright events provide a unique opportunity to check the consistency of the data analysis as well as cross-calibrate the two instruments. We performed time-integrated and coarse time-resolved spectral analysis of GRB 120323A prompt emission. We conclude that the analyses of GBM and Konus data are only consistent when using a double-hump spectral shape for both data sets; in contrast, the single hump of the empirical Band function, traditionally used to fit GRB prompt emission spectra, leads to significant discrepancies between GBM and Konus analysis results. Our two-hump model is a combination of a thermal-like and a non-thermal component. We interpret the first component as a natural manifestation of the jet photospheric emission.

Guiriec, S.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Remote Sensing Measurements of the CO2 Mixing Ratio in the Planetary Boundary Layer Using Cloud Slicing with Airborne Lidar

We have measured the CO2 volume mixing ratio (VMR) within the planetary boundary layer (PBL) using cloud slicing with an airborne pulsed integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar from flight altitudes of up to 13 km. During a flight over Iowa in summer 2011, simultaneous measurement of the optical range and CO2 absorption to clouds and the ground were made using time-resolved detection of pulse echoes from each scattering surface.We determined the CO2 absorption in the PBL by differencing the two lidar-measured absorption line shapes, one to a broken shallow cumulus cloud layer located at the top of the PBL and the other to the ground. Solving for the CO2 VMR in the PBL and that of the free troposphere, we measured a ≈15 ppm (4%) drawdown in the PBL. Both CO2 VMRs were within ≈3 ppm of in situ CO2 profile measurements. We have also demonstrated cloud slicing using scatter from thin, diffuse cirrus clouds and cumulus clouds, which allowed solving for the CO2 VMR for three vertical layers. The technique and retrieval algorithm are applicable to a space-based lidar instrument as well as to lidar IPDA measurements of other trace gases. Thus, lidar cloud slicing also offers promise toward space-based remote sensing of vertical trace gas profiles in the atmosphere using a variety of clouds.

VMR↗
NASA NTRS2015

Institutional Schlieren: A Production-Level Wind Tunnel Test Measurement

The following details recent efforts undertaken at the NASA Ames Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel to design and deploy an advanced, institutional, production-level data system for the classical Schlieren-shadowgraph technique. Motivation for the selection of individual system components is discussed along with a software methodology that combines image acquisition and processing into a production-level wind tunnel test measurement. In general terms, a production-level measurement refers to any data system that is seamlessly integrated into the primary wind tunnel data system, and whose data products are available real-time (e.g. force and moment, pressure, temperature data). The advantage of integrating a measurement in such a manner is an immediate increase in data product efficiency, productivity, reliability, and quality. Coupled with these benefits and leveraging recent advancements in high-speed imaging and image processing, automated, synchronized, time-resolved Schlieren-shadowgraph imaging for dynamic flow phenomena is now a reality. This makes possible the synthesis of dynamic off-body imaging with unsteady on-body measurements to produce a uniquely descriptive data product invaluable to the modern researcher.

Shadowgraph↗
NASA NTRS2017

Surface Characterization of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers by Picosecond Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Adhesive bonding of composite materials requires reliable monitoring and detection of surface contaminants as part of a vigorous quality control process to assure robust and durable bonded structures. Surface treatment and effective monitoring prior to bonding are essential in order to obtain a surface which is free from contaminants that may lead to inferior bond quality. In this study, the focus is to advance the laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique by using pulse energies below 100 μJ (μLIBS) for the detection of low levels of silicone contaminants in carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. Various CFRP surface conditions were investigated by LIBS using ∼10 ps, 355 nm laser pulses with pulse energies below 30 μJ. Time-resolved analysis was conducted to optimize the gate delay and gate width for the detection of the C I emission line at 247.9 nm to monitor the epoxy resin matrix of CFRP composites and the Si I emission line at 288.2 nm for detection of silicone contaminants in CFRP. To study the surface sensitivity to silicone contamination, CFRP surfaces were coated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), the active ingredient in many mold release agents. The presence of PDMS was studied by inspecting the Si I emission lines at 251.6 nm and 288.2 nm. The measured PDMS areal densities ranged from 0.15 to 2 μg/cm(sup 2). LIBS measurements were performed before and after laser surface ablation. The results demonstrate the successful detection of PDMS thin layers on CFRP using picosecond μLIBS.

Rodolfo Ledesma↗
NASA NTRS2002

Time resolved studies of proton irradiated quantum dots

The effects of proton irradiation on carrier dynamics were measured by time-resolved photoluminescence on InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot structures with different dot density and substrate orientation, as well as on InAlAs/AlGaAs quantum dots.

nanotechnology↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Fluid-Thermal-Structural Interactions Induced by an Asymmetric Shock-Wave/Boundary-Layer Interaction in a Mach-6 Compression Corner

An experimental study is conducted of the fluid-thermal-structural interaction of a clamped compliant panel exposed to a three dimensional shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction (SWBLI) induced by a Mach-6 compression ramp with a spanwise nonuniform incoming boundary layer. The nonuniform boundary layer was produced by placing trips on one side of the upstream flat plate, resulting in largely turbulent flow on the tripped side and transitional flow on the untripped side. Measurements of the flowfield confirmed that the tripped boundary layer contained elevated levels of unsteadiness, and the SWBLI was observed to vary from attached to fully separated as the ramp angle was increased from 10◦ to 38◦; the separation region on the tripped side of the panel was noticeably smaller, showing the elevated turbulence levels of the tripped-side flow to remain relatively localized rather than diffusing across the whole model. Full-field, time-resolved panel deformations were measured using high-speed photogrammetry and the vibrational response at each compression angle was characterized. Although the measured modes conformed largely to those from classical clamped-plate theory, some skewing of the mode shapes was observed. IR thermography highlighted regions of the compliant region where elevated temperatures were likely to promote thermal softening effects to the transient panel response. The quasi-static deformation and stress field was used to characterize the internal stress factor of each mode and showed a meaningful relationship between transient panel response and stress contained within each mode: modes with antinodes lying in high-stress areas of the plate tended to exhibit increases in vibrational frequency and decreases in vibrational power, whereas the opposite was true for modes with antinodes in low-stress areas.

Spectral Proper Orthogonal Decomposition↗
NASA NTRS2026

Physical Parameters of Space Mission Asteroid Targets

Ground-based characterization of asteroids that are planned or potential targets of space missions provides important data on their physical parameters and properties. Knowledge of the properties of mission targets is important especially during mission preparation and planning, as it serves to select best or suitable targets for specific purpose of a given mission, to prepare mission plans, to constrain possible mission scenarios, and to design mission experiments. Such characterization efforts may be particularly critical for flyby missions that take only limited data during the high-speed flybys of their target asteroids, but they also provide very crucial data for targets of rendezvous missions. Moreover, long-term observations taken from Earth also allows the modelling of, or constraining, processes acting on the asteroids over extended time scales. Over the past years and decades we have obtained rich data on physical parameters of 82 asteroids that are planned or potential targets of space missions. Our primary observing technique is time-resolved (lightcurve) photometry, but we use also data obtained with other techniques, such as spectroscopy, thermal or radar observations. 15 of the 82 characterized asteroids are planned or possible targets of several space missions that are in flight or preparation, such as ESA’s Hera, RAMSES and PRIAMOS, NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX, JAXA’s Hayabusa2#, DESTINY+ and Next Generation Sample Return (NGSR), the Emirates Mission to Asteroids (EMA), and Karman+’s High Frontier, but we have also characterized 67 asteroids that are potential targets of space missions for their low delta-V’s and were announced as being “of interest to NASA” in the Small-Bodies-Observations- NASA mailing list or listed on the NHATS page of “Accessible NEAs”. The sample of asteroid targets span 3 orders of magnitude in size, with absolute magnitudes H from 12.57 to 26.8, corresponding to diameters from about 10 m to about 10 km. The sample contains a variety of taxonomic types and physically or dynamically interesting objects. Among them, we have identified 5 binary asteroids and 20 tumblers (i.e., asteroids in excited, non-principal axis rotation states). Rotation periods of the characterized asteroids range from 1.45 min to 280 h, reflecting diversity of their properties and formation/evolution paths. We will present an overview of the data set and highlight several representative cases.

Petr Pravec↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Dynamic Analysis of Reynolds Number Effects on Trailing Edge Transonic Vortex Shedding and Its Impact on Turbine Blade Aerodynamic Performance

Time-resolved, high-speed self-aligned focusing schlieren images were acquired in the NASA Glenn Research Center Transonic Turbine Blade Cascade facility to help understand the aerodynamic behavior of high-pressure, thick trailing edge turbine blades. The trailing edge thickness of 9% of axial chord tested represents simulated ceramic matrix composite fabrication constraints, which was verified previously to possess a high-loss flow regime at high inlet turbulence conditions over a narrow range of Reynolds numbers and at a fixed design exit Mach number of 0.74. Our high-speed images, which were acquired at 10 distinct Reynolds numbers, show a significant increase in energy from flow oscillations due to transonic vortex shedding at Reynolds numbers corresponding to the high loss conditions. For those conditions, strong acoustic waves turn into shock waves. Spectral Proper Orthogonal Decomposition of the high-speed images shows acoustic waves from trailing edge vortex shedding at all conditions, with increased spectral energy at the high-loss conditions and slightly increasing frequency (about 6%) as a function of Reynolds number. Analysis of potential feedback timing is performed using velocity fields from a previous LES simulation, considering different feedback mechanisms. Most noteworthy is the acoustic/shock-boundary layer interaction mechanism on the suction surface at the blade geometric throat, which likely plays an important role in realistic curved blade passages.

Trailing Edge↗