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The presented list of electrical engineering drawings ranges from the high frequency logistic acquisition counter and binary register to the target tracker power supply system.
Assessment of the current technology relating to the laser power beaming system which in full scale is called the Beam Transmission Optical System (BTOS). Evaluation of system integration efforts are being conducted by the various government agencies and industry. Concepts are being developed for prototypes of adaptive optics for a BTOS.
Fuel dilution of engine oil (or fuel-in-oil, FiO) is an important issue as multiple and late-cycle fuel injection, integral to many combustion efficiency and emissions improvements (e.g., downsized boosted gasoline engines and catalyst thermal management) increases FiO rate. In addition to causing general wear and corrosion in engine due to decreased oil viscosity and pH buffering, FiO is also believed to cause destructive low speed pre-ignition (or super knock) in boosted SI engines. To understand the effects of engine operating conditions on the FiO rate, an optical diagnostic capable of measuring transient FiO on minute timescales was recently developed and demonstrated on a modified GM Ecotech engine system (Neupane et al., Applied Spectroscopy 2021). The measurement is based on adding a dye to the fuel and monitoring for its presence in oil via laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). The measured LIF signal is related to FiO concentration via pre-determined calibration factors using a multivariate classical least square (CLS) method.Since fluorescence quantum yield is a function of temperature, measured LIF intensity not only depends on FiO concentration but also oil temperature. To expand the applicability of the FiO diagnostic to transient oil-temperature conditions (e.g., cold start in practical engines), this study develops a method to account for oil-temperature variations. The effect of oil temperature (20°C - 95°C) on the LIF spectra of eight FiO samples ranging from ~0.8-15% was investigated. LIF intensities of the FiO samples decreased linearly with increasing temperature; the reductions being more significant at dye peaks. We develop a new calibration model (T-adaptive CLS) incorporating the temperature (T) effects on LIF intensity that enables simultaneous calculation of FiO and oil temperature. The improved FiO diagnostic with T-adaptive calibration is more robust, and applicable to varying oil-temperature conditions. For example, when strategies such as multiple/late fuel injections are applied to overcome cold-start instability due to use of low vaporization bio-based fuels such as ethanol, FiO rate is expected to be very high; the improved T-adaptive FiO diagnostic is hence relevant for engine- and fuel-system calibration and optimization. The diagnostic could also provide validation data for flow-field and spray interaction CFD models, further broadening the diagnostic’s utility for advancing engine technology and efficiency.
A recent study by Rocketdyne for NASA identified laser anemometry, using a compact optical head, as a feasible diagnostic instrument for the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Model Verification experiments. Physical Research, Inc. (PRI) is presently under contract from NASA Lewis to develop and deliver such a laser anemometer system. For this application, it is desired to place the laser at a remote distance from the engine, and use single mode polarization preserving fiber optics for the transmission of the laser light to and from the measurement head. Other requirements are given. Analytical and experimental tools are being used to develop the technologies required for the laser anemometer. These include finite element analysis of the optical head and vibration tests for various optical and mechanical components. Design of the optical head and the fiber optic connectors are driven by the temperature and vibration requirements for the measurement environment. Results of the finite element analysis and the vibration tests of the components are included. Conceptual design of the fiber optic launcher and the optical probe has also been complete. Detailed design of the probe as well as the fabrication and assembly of the components is in progress.
Thermal barrier coatings will be more aggressively designed to protect gas turbine engine hot-section components in order to meet future rotorcraft engine higher fuel efficiency and lower emission goals. For thermal barrier coatings designed for rotorcraft turbine airfoil applications, further improved erosion and impact resistance are crucial for engine performance and durability, because the rotorcraft are often operated in the most severe sand erosive environments. Advanced low thermal conductivity and erosion-resistant thermal barrier coatings are being developed, with the current emphasis being placed on thermal barrier coating toughness improvements using multicomponent alloying and processing optimization approaches. The performance of the advanced thermal barrier coatings has been evaluated in a high temperature erosion burner rig and a laser heat-flux rig to simulate engine erosion and thermal gradient environments. The results have shown that the coating composition and architecture optimizations can effectively improve the erosion and impact resistance of the coating systems, while maintaining low thermal conductivity and cyclic oxidation durability
The development of advanced high performance constant-volume-combustion-cycle engines (CVCCE) requires robust design of the engine components that are capable of enduring harsh combustion environments under high frequency thermal and mechanical fatigue conditions. In this study, a simulated engine test rig has been established to evaluate thermal fatigue behavior of a candidate engine combustor material, Haynes 188, under superimposed CO2 laser surface impulsive thermal loads (30 to 100 Hz) in conjunction with the mechanical fatigue loads (10 Hz). The mechanical high cycle fatigue (HCF) testing of some laser pre-exposed specimens has also been conducted under a frequency of 100 Hz to determine the laser surface damage effect. The test results have indicated that material surface oxidation and creep-enhanced fatigue is an important mechanism for the surface crack initiation and propagation under the simulated CVCCE engine conditions.
The optical properties associated with small particles, which include aerosols, hydrosols and solid microspheres have an impact on several areas of science and engineering. Since the advent of high-speed computers and lasers, the interaction of light with matter in the form of small particles with a discontinuous optical boundary relative to the surroundings has been much better understood. Various nonlinear optical effects have been observed involving interaction of a laser beam with both solid microspheres and liquid microdroplets. These include observation of second and third harmonic generation, four wave mixing, optical visibility, two photon absorption, observation of stimulated emission and lasing, and Stimulated Raman Scattering. Many of these effects are observed with laser intensities which are orders of magnitude less than that required by threshold condition for interactions in macroscopic bulk medium. The primary reason for this is twofold. The front surface of the microsphere acts as a thick lens to enhance the internal intensity of the input laser radiation, and the spherical shape of the droplet acts as an optical cavity to provide feedback at specific wavelengths corresponding to the whispering gallery modes or the morphology dependent resonances (MDR's). The most interesting and significant recent finding in this field is undoubtedly the existence of resonance peaks in linear and nonlinear optical spectra. Such resonance peaks are only dependent on the particle morphology, which means the size, shape and refractive index of the particle. Because of the simultaneous presence of these resonances, they have been referred to by many names, including structural resonances, whispering modes or whispering gallery modes, creeping waves, circumferential waves, surfaces modes, and virtual modes. All of these names refer to the same phenomena, i.e. morphology dependent resonances (MDR's) which has already been described and predicted precisely by electromagnetic theory and Loentz-Mie theory since 1908. MDR's can become important when the particle size (radius a) approaches and exceeds the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave (lambda) and the refractive index of the particle is greater than that of the surrounding medium. Such resonances are easiest to observe from a single particle with high symmetry, such as a sphere, spheroid, or cylinder. MDR's correspond to solutions of the characteristic equations of the electromagnetic fields in the presence of a sphere.
The contents include: 1) Mission Accomplished; 2) Resource Report: Marshall Space Flight Center; 3) NASA 1995 Software of the Year Award; 4) Microbolometers Based on Epitaxial YBa2Cu3O(sub 7-x) Thin Films; 5) Garnet Random-Access Memory; 6) Fabrication of SNS Weak Links on SOS Substrates; 7) High-Voltage MOSFET Switching Circuit; 8) Asymmetric Switching for a PWM H-Bridge Power Circuit; 9) Better Ohmic Contacts for InP Semiconductor Devices; 10) Low-Bandgap Thermovoltaic Materials and Devices; 11) Digital Frequency-Differencing Circuit; 12) Imaging Magnetometer; 13) Computer-Assisted Monitoring of a Complex System; 14) Buffered Telemetry Demodulator; 15) Compact Multifunction Inspection Head; 16) Optical Detection of Fractures in Ceramic Diaphragms; 17) Eddy-Current Detection of Cracks in Reinforced Carbon/Carbon; 18) Apparent Thermal Conductivity of Multilayer Insulation; 19) Optimizing Misch-Metal Compositions in Metal Hydride Anodes; 20) Device for Sampling Surface Contamination; 21) Probabilistic Failure Assessment for Fatigue; 22) Probabilistic Fatigue and Flaw-Propagation Analysis; 23) Windows Program for Driving the TDU-850 Printer; 24) Subband/Transform MATLAB Functions for Processing Images; 25) Computing Equilibrium Chemical Compositions; 26) Program Processes Thermocouple Readings; 27) ICAN-Second-Generation Integrated Composite Analyzer; 28) Integrated Composite Analyzer with Damping Capabilities; 29) Computing Efficiency of Transfer of Microwave Power; 30) Program Calculates Power Demands of Electronic Designs; 31) Cost-Estimation Program; 32) Program Estimates Areas Required by Electronic Designs; 33) Program to Balance Mapped Turbopump Assemblies; 34) BiblioTech; 35) Controlling Mirror Tilt With a Bimorph Actuator; 36) Burst-Disk Device Simulates Effect of Pyrotechnic Device; 37) Bearing-Mounting Concept Accommodates Thermal Expansion; 38) Parallel-Plate Acoustic Absorbers for Hot Environments; 39) Adjustable-Length Strut Withstands Large Cyclic Loads; 40) Tool Indicates Contact Angles in Bearing Raceways; 41) Gravity Slides With Magnetic Braking; 42) High-Torque, Lightweight, Pneumatically Driven Wrench for Small Spaces; 43) Device for Testing Compatibility of an O-Ring; 44) Magnetic Heat Pump Containing Flow Diverters; 45) Variable-Tilt Helicopter Rotor Mast; 46) "Beach-Ball" Robotic Rovers; 47) Apparatus Would Measure Temperatures of Ball Bearings; 48) Flexible Borescope for Inspecting Ducts; 49) Texturing Copper To Reduce Secondary Emission of Electrons; 50) Automated Laser Cutting in Three Dimensions; 51) Algorithm Helps Monitor Engine Operation; 52) Flexible Revision of Data-Processing Communications; 53) Software for Managing the Use of Land; 54) Thermal Strap Increases Cryocooling Efficiency; 55) Reversible Nut With Engagement Indication; 56) Control Algorithms for Kinematically Redundant Manipulators; 57) Computed Hydrogen-Flow Splits in a Rocket Engine; 58) Pressure and Thermal Modeling of Rocket Launches; 59) Field of View of a Spacecraft Antenna: Analysis and Software; 60) Digital Controller for Laser-Beam-Steering Subsystem; 61) More About Beam-Steering Subsystem for Laser Communication; 62) Digital Controller for Laser-Beam-Steering Subsystem: Part 2; 63) Interface Circuit Board for Space-Shuttle Communications; 64) Automated Planning of Spacecraft Telecommunications; 65) Artifacts of Spectral Analysis of Instrument Readings; 66) Neural-Network Controller for Vibration Suppression; 67) Adaptive Finite-Element Computation in Fracture Mechanics; 68) Attitude Control for the Cassini Spacecraft; 69) Analytical Model for Fluid Dynamics in a Microgravity Environment; 70) Study of Rocket-Engine Joints Bonded by NVCU/NARloy-Z; 71) Improved Silicon Nitride for Advanced Heat Engines; 72) Parameters for Welding Aluminum/Lithium Alloys; 73) Lightweight Composite Intertank Structure; 74) Foil Patches Seal Small Vacuum Leaks; 75) Data Base on Cables and Connectors; 76) Effect of Clock Mode on Radiation Hardnessf an ADC; and 77) Fault-Tolerant Control for a Robotic Inspection System.
This article presents an engineered sampling system that used a rotating wheel to form a thin liquid layer, permitting the use of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for in situ, real-time elemental impurity quantification during liquid processing. The sampling approach was demonstrated on eight elements from across the periodic table (Na, Al, K, Ca, Ti, Sr, Mo, and Yb). Univariate and multivariate calibrations were presented for each element. The average value for percent root mean square errors of cross-validation for the multivariate models was 3.64%, highlighting the method's strong prediction accuracy. Additionally, the limits of detection for each analyte were estimated from their univariate models: Na = 0.0532, Al = 18.5, K = 0.105, Ca = 0.273, Ti = 67.7, Sr = 0.640, Mo = 22.4, and Yb = 22.9 μg mL –1 . Finally, a test in which multivariate models were used to monitor a liquid system for 80 min was performed to investigate the real-time monitoring capabilities of this liquid LIBS sampling approach. Rigorous measurements were performed to effectively predict the absence and concentrations of multiple analytes as they were spiked and diluted. This demonstration showed the feasibility of using LIBS for real-time liquid quantification models with estimated precision ≤ 8.1%. Finally, the limitations of this approach and potential future improvements are discussed.
During the last decade there has been increasing interest in the use of lasers in place of electrical systems to ignite various pyrotechnic and explosive materials. The principal driving force for this work was the requirement for safer energetic components which would be insensitive to electrostatic and electromagnetic radiation. In the last few years this research has accelerated since the basic concepts have proven viable. At the present time it is appropriate to shift the research emphasis in laser initiation from the scientific arena--whether it can be done--to the engineering realm--how it can be put into actual practice in the field. Laser initiation research and development at EG&G Mound was in three principal areas: (1) laser/energetic material interactions; (2) development of novel processing techniques for fabricating hermetic (helium leak rate of less than 1 x 10(exp -8) cu cm/s) laser components; and (3) evaluation and testing of laser-ignited components. Research in these three areas has resulted in the development of high quality, hermetic, laser initiated components. Examples are presented which demonstrate the practicality of fabricating hermetic, laser initiated explosive or pyrotechnic components that can be used in the next generation of ignitors, actuators, and detonators.
Creating long-duration, high-powered lasers, for satellites, that can withstand the type of optical misalignment and damage dished out by the unforgiving environment of space, is work that is unique to NASA. It is complicated, specific work, where each step forward is into uncharted territory. In the 1990s, as this technology was first being created, NASA gave free reign to a group of "laser jocks" to develop their own business model and supply the Space Agency with the technology it needed. It was still to be a part of NASA as a division of Goddard Space Flight Center, but would operate independently out of a remote office. The idea for this satellite laboratory was based on the Skunk Works concept at Lockheed Martin Corporation. Formerly known as the Lockheed Corporation, in 1943, the aerospace firm, realizing that the type of advanced research it needed done could not be performed within the confines of a larger company, allowed a group of researchers and engineers to essentially run their own microbusiness without the corporate oversight. The Skunk Works project, in Burbank, California, produced America s first jet fighter, the world s most successful spy plane (U-2), the first 3-times-the-speed-of-sound surveillance aircraft, and the F-117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighter. Boeing followed suit with its Phantom Works, an advanced research and development branch of the company that operates independent of the larger unit and is responsible for a great deal of its most cutting-edge research. NASA s version of this advanced business model was the Space Lidar Technology Center (SLTC), just south of Goddard, in College Park, Maryland. Established in 1998 under a Cooperative Agreement between Goddard and the University of Maryland s A. James Clark School of Engineering, it was a high-tech laser shop where a small group of specialists, never more than 20 employees, worked all hours of the day and night to create the cutting- edge technology the Agency required of them. Drs. Robert Afzal and Joseph Dallas were directors of the SLTC, and led the development and production of active spaceborne, remote-sensing, optical instruments. As a pioneer in the area of photonics, Dr. Dallas led basic research, development, and production of semiconductor laser diode products, improving coupling efficiency through novel physical optics modeling and intracavity phase-correction techniques. He worked for NASA for 15 years, 11 of which were as a civil servant, and 4 of which were as a contractor.
The Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) is a key scientific instrument on the ExoMars Rover mission. MOMA is designed to detect and characterize organic compounds, over a wide range of volatility and molecular weight, in samples obtained from up to two meters below the martian surface. Thorough analog sample studies are required to best prepare to interpret MOMA data collected on Mars. We present here the MOMA characterization of Mars analog samples collected from an alkaline silica depositing hot spring in Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA. These samples contain microbial streamer communities composed primarily of oxygenic and anoxygenic phototrophs. Additionally, in a study focused on detection of key classes of nonvolatile organics, samples of microbial streamers and their total lipid extract (TLE) have been measured on a MOMA Engineering Test Unit (ETU) instrument using its laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) mode. MOMA LDI-MS detected a variety of lipids and pigments in the TLE sample. Species such as chlorophyll a were also detected from the streamer sample with the help of mass isolation. The results add to the LDI-MS sample characterization database, as well as demonstrate the benefit of using mass isolation on the MOMA instrument to reveal the presence of complex organics, and potential biomarkers, preserved in a natural sample, providing guidance to the in situ analysis of surface samples during Mars operations.
The results of testing to identify the effects of simulated aerodynamic flight loads on JT9D engine performance are presented. The test results were also used to refine previous analytical studies on the impact of aerodynamic flight loads on performance losses. To accomplish these objectives, a JT9D-7AH engine was assembled with average production clearances and new seals as well as extensive instrumentation to monitor engine performance, case temperatures, and blade tip clearance changes. A special loading device was designed and constructed to permit application of known moments and shear forces to the engine by the use of cables placed around the flight inlet. The test was conducted in the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft X-Ray Test Facility to permit the use of X-ray techniques in conjunction with laser blade tip proximity probes to monitor important engine clearance changes. Upon completion of the test program, the test engine was disassembled, and the condition of gas path parts and final clearances were documented. The test results indicate that the engine lost 1.1 percent in thrust specific fuel consumption (TSFC), as measured under sea level static conditions, due to increased operating clearances caused by simulated flight loads. This compares with 0.9 percent predicted by the analytical model and previous study efforts.
Experimental and analytical investigations focusing on aluminum/hydrocarbon gel droplet secondary atomization and its effects on gel-fueled rocket engine performance are being conducted. A single laser sheet sizing/velocimetry diagnostic technique, which should eliminate sizing bias in the data collection process, has been designed and constructed to overcome limitations of the two-color forward-scatter technique used in previous work. Calibration of this system is in progress and the data acquisition/validation code is being written. Narrow-band measurements of radiant emission, discussed in previous reports, will be used to determine if aluminum ignition has occurred in a gel droplet. A one-dimensional model of a gel-fueled rocket combustion chamber, described in earlier reports, has been exercised in conjunction with a two-dimensional, two-phase nozzle code to predict the performance of an aluminum/hydrocarbon fueled engine. Estimated secondary atomization effects on propellant burnout distance, condensed particle radiation losses to the chamber walls, and nozzle two phase flow losses are also investigated. Calculations indicate that only modest secondary atomization is required to significantly reduce propellant burnout distances, aluminum oxide residual size, and radiation heat losses. Radiation losses equal to approximately 2-13 percent of the energy released during combustion were estimated, depending on secondary atomization intensity. A two-dimensional, two-phase nozzle code was employed to estimate radiation and nozzle two phase flow effects on overall engine performance. Radiation losses yielded a one percent decrease in engine Isp. Results also indicate that secondary atomization may have less effect on two-phase losses than it does on propellant burnout distance and no effect if oxide particle coagulation and shear induced droplet breakup govern oxide particle size. Engine Isp was found to decrease from 337.4 to 293.7 seconds as gel aluminum mass loading was varied from 0-70 wt percent. Engine Isp efficiencies, accounting for radiation and two phase flow effects, on the order of 0.946 were calculated for a 60 wt percent gel, assuming a fragmentation ratio of five.
This paper presents the results of testing to identify the effects of simulated aerodynamic flight loads on JT9D engine performance. The test results were also used to refine previous analytical studies on the impact of aerodynamic flight loads on performance losses. To accomplish these objectives, a JT9D-7AH engine was assembled with average production clearances and new seals as well as extensive instrumentation to monitor engine performance, case temperatures, and blade tip clearance changes. A special loading device was designed and constructed to permit application of known moments and shear forces to the engine by the use of cables placed around the flight inlet. The test was conducted in the Pratt and Whitney Aircraft X-Ray Test Facility to permit the use of X-ray techniques in conjunction with laser blade tip proximity probes to monitor important engine clearance changes. Upon completion of the test program, the test engine was disassembled, and the condition of gas path parts and final clearances were documented. The test results indicate that the engine lost 1.1 percent in thrust specific fuel consumption (TSFC), as measured under sea level static conditions, due to increased operating clearances caused by simulated flight loads. This compares with 0.9 percent predicted by the analytical model and previous study efforts.
A comprehensive understanding of material strength across strain rates typically requires the combination of results from different methods, which often vary in loading conditions and/or sampled volumes, leading to discrepancies in material behavior. This study presents a microindentation approach to measure hardness covering eleven orders of magnitude in strain rate, from quasi-static to phonon drag-dominated rates, on a single material surface under uniform testing conditions. By engineering the geometry of impactors used in laser induced particle impact testing, we extend the breadth of accessible strain rates, including multiple distinct rates exceeding 10⁵ s⁻¹. This self-consistent approach provides clearer insights into high-rate deformation mechanisms. Our results demonstrate a gradual increase in hardness with strain rate from quasi-static up to ultra-high rates, where a sharp upturn in hardness is observed.
The development of laser performance models having real-time prediction capability for the OMEGA EP laser system has been essential in meeting requests from its user community for increasingly complex pulse shapes that span a wide range of energies. The laser operations model PSOPS provides rapid and accurate predictions of OMEGA EP laser-system performance in both forward and backward directions, a user-friendly interface and rapid optimization capability between shots. We describe the model’s features and show how PSOPS has allowed real-time optimization of the laser-system configuration in order to satisfy the demands of rapidly evolving experimental campaign needs. We also discuss several enhancements to laser-system performance accuracy and flexibility enabled by PSOPS.
Major fusion research milestones have been achieved using laser driven inertial confinement fusion (ICF) in recent years, and these successes have ignited tremendous enthusiasm for inertial fusion energy (IFE). However, the complexity and difficulty of obtaining fusion ignition with a laser driver in a research setting are often underappreciated, as are the gaps to high driver efficiency, high repetition rates, and laser and target durability requirements needs for IFE. On the academic side, several new research laser systems have been constructed over the past few years, enabling researchers to probe the limits of ICF physics and engineering. This feature issue highlights the challenges and capabilities of laser research and development targeted towards advancing IFE.