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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.
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Statistical formulas, doppler residuals and equations of condition are used to obtain certain physical constant data from radio tracking of mariner ii
Influence of electrode reaction kinetics on polarization curves of flooded porous electrodes
Manned space flight goals and philosophy
Steady state and transient analysis of flooded isothermal porous electrodes without bulk flow of electrolyte
Flow patterns observed and torque and angular velocity measured to study velocity field induced in Newtonian liquid by rotating cone
Diagnostic criteria for grading severity of acute motion sickness
Earth albedo instrument on OSO 3 spacecraft to measure solar reflectance of earth at various wavelengths
Wind tunnel simulation of jet pulsing apparatus for controlled gusts
Weak shock-wave interactions with boundary layers on a flat plate were investigated experimentally in Mach 8 variable-density tunnel for plate-length Reynolds numbers. The undisturbed boundary layers were laminar over the entire plate length. Pressure and heat-transfer distributions were obtained for wedge-generated incident shock waves that resulted in pressure rises ranging from 1.36 to 4.46 (both nonseparated and separated boundary-layer flows). The resulting heat-transfer amplifications ranged from 1.45 to 14. The distributions followed established trends for nonseparated flows, for incipient separation, and for laminar free-interaction pressure rises. The experimental results corroborated established trends for the extent of the pressure rise and for certain peak heat-transfer correlations.
Acoustic-emission (AE) count rates are presented for tensile loading of unidirectional boron-epoxy and for aluminum sheets reinforced with unidirectional boron-epoxy. It is shown that different prepreg materials have different characteristic AE patterns. Results from composite-reinforced metal specimens show that early failures are accompanied by a sharp increase in AE count rate at the knee of the bilinear stress-strain diagram. It is further shown that the count rates are a function of specimen fabrication and that higher total counts do not necessarily correspond to early failures.
The objectives of the Skylab experiment M509 were related to the development and the use of an Astronaut Maneuvering Unit (AMU). Through the actual orbital flight tests, the experiment has produced invaluable data to verify and extend previous ground-based research. AMU equipment and operating modes are considered along with flight plans, crew operations, and the maneuvering test plan. Attention is also given to orbital test results, a subjective evaluation, and actual and simulator flight assessment.
The present work evaluates the results of flight tests of the Astronaut Maneuvering Research Vehicle (AMRV) conducted inside the Skylab Orbital Workshop. The vehicle is an autonomous mobility aid which allows the pilot to control his position and orientation in space without the necessity of reacting against the spacecraft. The purpose of the tests was to obtain operation experience and engineering/human performance data in a zero gravity environment, to correlate on-orbit data with simulation data, and to recommend a design configuration for future operational maneuvering units. Four different techniques for controlling AMRV dynamics were tested: hand-held maneuvering unit, direct, rate gyro, and control moment gyro operating modes.
Photoelectric spectrum scans of gamma-2 Velorum in the spectral range 4600-4720 A were analyzed to study the short-term variability of brightness and of emission line strengths. The emission strengths of He II (4686 A) and C III-IV (4650 A) show rms variations of 3 and 2 per cent, respectively. These variations have time scales of 1 minute and longer. Night-to-night variations were also found. The continuum radiation also shows small-amplitude variations. No periodic variations attributable to this star were detected on any of the nights on which these observations were made.
Surface pressure distributions are presented for regions where three-dimensional separated flow effects are prominent on swept-wing-elevon-end-plate models of 0 degree, 50 degree, and 70 degree sweepback, and with 0 degree, 10 degree, 20 degree, and 30 degree elevon deflections. Surface-oil-flow photographs and pressure distributions on the flat-plate wing, elevon, and end-plate surfaces are presented for numerous geometric variations, including various spacings between the elevon and the end plate, with and without a tip fin. The data, for a free-stream Mach number of 6 and a wing-root-chord Reynolds number of 20 x 10 to the sixth power, reveal considerably larger regions of elevon induced loads on the adjacent end-plate surface than would be anticipated by using inviscid flow analyses.
This paper discusses the potential of using the Global Positioning System (GPS) to provide autonomous navigation capability to NASA satellites in the 1980 era. Some of the driving forces motivating autonomous navigation are presented. These include such factors as advances in attitude control systems, onboard science annotation, and onboard gridding of imaging data. Simulation results which demonstrate baseline orbit determination accuracies using GPS data on Seasat, Landsat-D, and the Solar Maximum Mission are presented. Emphasis is placed on identifying error sources such as GPS time, GPS ephemeris, user timing biases, and user orbit dynamics, and in a parametric sense on evaluating their contribution to the orbit determination accuracies.
Surface pressure distributions and heat transfer distributions were obtained on wing half-models in regions where three dimensional separated flow effects are prominent. Unswept and 50 deg and 70 deg swept semispan wings were tested, for trailing-edge-elevon ramp angles of 0 deg, 10 deg, 20 deg, and 30 deg, with and without cylindrical and flat plate center bodies and with and without various wing-tip plates and fins. The data, obtained for a free stream Mach number of 6 and a wing-root-chord Reynolds number of 18.5 million, reveal considerably larger regions of increased pressure and thermal loads than would be anticipated using non-separated flow analyses.
The rates of volcanic resurfacing on Io are estimated on the basis of two separate observations and the implications of these rates for the volatile history of Io and the supply of material to the Jovian torus are discussed. Rates of resurfacing based on the lack of observable impact craters and assuming a Jovian cratering rate similar to those of the moon and Mars are found to be on the order of 0.1 cm/year. Estimated deposition rates of volcanic matter are found to be in general agreement with cratering rate determinations, if large particle deposition, undetected volcanic activity, volcanic flows and gas condensation are taken into account. Escape rates from Io estimated for sulfur, oxygen and sodium, based on their concentrations around Io, indicate that only a fraction of the present volcanic material can escape. Thermal and nonthermal escape mechanisms are suggested to account for the current loss of sulfur and oxygen from Io's upper atmosphere, while sputtering of atoms from the surface by impacting magnetospheric ions is suggested as the mechanism of sodium supply.
A method for the redution of the cost of solution of large nonlinear structural equations was developed. Verification was made using the MARC-STRUC structure finite element program with test cases involving single and multiple degrees of freedom for static geometric nonlinearities. The method developed was designed to exist within the envelope of accuracy and convergence characteristic of the particular finite element methodology used.