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At least 505 records · Page 28
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

Numerical simulation of a powered-lift landing, tracking flow features using overset grids, and simulation of high lift devices on a fighter-lift-and-control wing

Attached as appendices to this report are documents describing work performed on the simulation of a landing powered-lift delta wing, the tracking of flow features using overset grids, and the simulation of flaps on the Wright Patterson Lab's fighter-lift-and-control (FLAC) wing. Numerical simulation of a powered-lift landing includes the computation of flow about a delta wing at four fixed heights as well as a simulated landing, in which the delta wing descends toward the ground. Comparison of computed and experimental lift coefficients indicates that the simulations capture the qualitative trends in lift-loss encountered by thrust-vectoring aircraft operating in ground effect. Power spectra of temporal variations of pressure indicate computed vortex shedding frequencies close to the jet exit are in the experimentally observed frequency range; the power spectra of pressure also provide insights into the mechanisms of lift oscillations. Also, a method for using overset grids to track dynamic flow features is described and the method is validated by tracking a moving shock and vortices shed behind a circular cylinder. Finally, Chimera gridding strategies were used to develop pressure coefficient contours for the FLAC wing for a Mach no. of 0.18 and Reynolds no. of 2.5 million.

Chawla, Kalpana↗
NASA NTRS1993

Orientation of Planar Deformation Features (PDFs) in quartz

Differently oriented single crystal quartz was shocked experimentally at pressures of 20 to 32 GPa and pre-shock temperatures up to 630 C. Based on this systematic investigation, we can demonstrate that the orientation of planar deformation features in quartz is not only dependent on shock pressure but also on pre-shock temperature and shock direction. Moreover, the orientation of Planar Deformation Features (PDF's) is strongly influenced by the set-up in recovery experiments. PDF's in quartz are defined as optically recognizable, planar microstructures diagnostically produced by shock compression. PDF's differ from all kinds of microstructures found in volcanic environment and therefore, their presence is a primary criterion for recognizing impact craters and ejecta layers such as the K/T boundary. Because experiments have shown a pressure dependence of the orientation of PDF's, this property is used extensively for shock wave barometry in natural impact sites. However, the unreflected application of experimental results neglects that parameters such as pre-shock temperature, shock direction, or the experimental arrangement may influence the spatial distribution of PDF's. In order to test this assumption, shock experiments on single crystal quartz at pre-shock temperatures of 20, 275, 540, and 630 C, and with shock directions (1010) and (0001) were performed. Most of the recovery experiments were carried out by using a reverberation technique, whereas in only one experiment a single shock was produced (impedance method). In the former case 0.5 mm thin discs of single crystal quartz were used, in the latter a 15 mm thick cylinder. The orientation of PDF's was measured by means of a conventional universal stage and the results are given. Effects of the experimentation technique can be derived showing the orientation of PDF's in quartz shocked at 27.5 GPa. In comparison to the well defined peaks at (1012) found in samples from reverberation experiments, the impedance matching technique causes PDF's with a broad distribution pattern and indistinct maxima. Our results have serious implications for shock-wave barometry in nature: the existing classification scheme which relates PDF orientation exclusively to shock pressure is no longer applicable. In consequence more experimental data is needed.

Langenhorst, F.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Mapping vegetation types with the multiple spectral feature mapping algorithm in both emission and absorption

Vegetation covers a large portion of the Earth's land surface. Remotely sensing quantitative information from vegetation has proven difficult because in a broad sense, all vegetation is similar from a chemical viewpoint, and most healthy plants are green. Plant species are generally characterized by the leaf and flower or fruit morphology, not by remote sensing spectral signatures. But to the human eye, many plants show varying shades of green, so there is direct evidence for spectral differences between plant types. Quantifying these changes in a predictable manner has not been easy. The Clark spectral features mapping algorithm was applied to mapping spectral features in vegetation species.

Clark, Roger N.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Largest impact features on Venus: Non-preserved or non-recognizable?

Conventional explanation of a lack of impact craters with diameters greater than 300 km on Venus is that they formed during the intense bombardment era and had lunar-like morphology, but they are not preserved now because of rapid viscous relaxation of their topograpy and/or high endogenous reworking of surface. Other explanation invokes failure to recognize these larger craters because of their non-lunar-like morphology from the moment of formation, since larger gravity of Venus relatively to the Moon results in that largest craters on Venus may form within the mass of shock melted material while comparably sized lunar craters would be still almost 'dry'. To test this hypothesis, morphologies and rim-crest diameters of the largest peak-ring and Orientale-type basins and all larger impact features on Moon, Mercury, Mars, and Venus were compiled and compared to rim crest diameters of model craters with different melt volume/transient-cavity volume ratios. Results show that the final diameters of model craters formed at depth of melting about twice of transient cavity depth correspond to changeover from a planet-similar morphology of all the smaller basins on any terrestrial planet to a planet-specific morphology of all the larger basins on the Moon, Mercury, and Mars. On Venus, these largest impact features are not found and instead, a Venus-specific morphology of the largest concentric coronae appears in this size range. The coronae were suggested to form over sites of mantle upwelling and modified by subsequent volcanism and gravitational relaxation. The results here suggest that mantle upwelling - the first and necessary step of the corona formation models - may be induced by impact event (as a result of transient cavity collapse) and operated under cover of hot, slowly cooled impact melt in the areas of thinned crust and/or thermally active regions.

Nikolaeva, Olga V.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Distribution of small volcanic cones on the surface of Venus by size and elevation: Implications for differential deposition of volcanic features

It appears that volcanic features are not evenly distributed on the surface of Venus. Head et. al. theorizes that the sparcity of volcanic features in the lowlands may be due to an altitude dependent inhibition of volatile exsolution and the resulting products of neutral buoyancy zones sufficient to form magma reservoirs and favoring flood lavas at lower elevation. The astronomy research classes of Evergreen and Sahuaro High Schools surveyed a cross-section of different elevation topography to investigate size and distribution of small volcanic cones by elevation. The results from this survey are presented.

Lockwood, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Petrography of shock features in the 1953 Manson 2-A drill core

Drilling of Nx core in late 1953 into an anomalous zone of disturbed rocks northwest of Manson, Iowa disclosed presence of extensive breccias including crystalline rocks brought to the surface from depths of 4 km or more. Hole 2-A penetrated breccias dominated by leucocratic igneous and metamorphic lithologies, later interpreted to be part of a general ringed peak complex within a 35 km wide impact structure produced about 65 Ma ago. Proof of this origin was given in 1966 by NMS through recognition of shock metamorphic features in 2-A materials during a cursory examination of samples provided by R.A. Hoppin, University of Iowa. A detailed study of this material now underway has revealed that most breccia clasts in 2-A show abundant and varied evidence of shock damage, including extensive planar deformation features (PDF) in quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase, and a pyroxene and varying degrees of isotropization and incipient melting in feldspars.

Short, N. M.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Photogeological analysis of Europan tectonic features

Preliminary photogeological analyses of the Pelorus Linea and Sidon Flexus regions of Europa were conducted to explore the proposal by Schenk that lateral motion of crustal blocks has occurred in a 'rift zone' including possible strike-slip, tension fracturing, and geometric plate rotation about an Euler pole. These analyses revealed features interpreted as tensional structures and block rotation in a strike-slip regime consistent with the Schenk hypotheses and implied the presence of at least two stages of crustal deformation consistent with a chronology developed by Lucchitta. Confirmation of regional scale Euler pole rotation was ambiguous, however. Up to 80 kilometers of possible extension was identified in the rift zone; to accommodate this, 'cryosubduction' is speculatively proposed as a mechanism for recycling Europan 'ice lithosphere'. The cumulative width of wedge-shaped bands included in the rift zone was measured and plotted versus distance from the inferred rotation pole. Three sharp decreases in the total width were noted. These occur roughly where certain triple bands cross the rift zone suggesting that the bands are structural features that predate and influence the zone. While the curve hints at one or more sinusoidal relationships consistent with rotation geometry, given the low photographic resolution and the preliminary nature of this examination the question of whether the observations represent coherent regional rotation modified by crosscutting structures or instead imply independent local rotations separated by these structures is unanswered by this analysis.

Tufts, B. R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Features of a SINDA/FLUINT model of a liquid oxygen supply line

The modeling features used in a steady-state heat transfer problem using SINDA/FLUINT are described. The problem modeled is a 125 feet long, 3 inch diameter pipe, filled with liquid oxygen flow driven by a given pressure gradient. The pipe is fully insulated in five sections. Three sections of 1 inch thick spray-on foam and two sections of vacuum jacket. The model evaluates friction, turns losses and convection heat transfer between the fluid and the pipe wall. There is conduction through the foam insulation with temperature dependent thermal conductivity. The vacuum space is modeled with radiation and gas molecular conduction, if present, in the annular gap. Heat is transferred between the outer surface and surrounding ambient by natural convection and radiation; and, by axial conduction along the pipe and through the vacuum jacket spacers and welded seal flanges. The model makes extensive use of SINDA/FLUINT basic capabilities such as the GEN option for nodes and conductors (to generate groups of nodes or conductors), the SIV option (to generate single, temperature varying conductors), the SIM option (for multiple, temperature varying conductors) and the M HX macros for fluids (to generate strings of lumps, paths, and ties representing a diabatic duct). It calls subroutine CONTRN (returns the relative location in the G-array of a network conductor, given an actual conductor number) enabling an extensive manipulation of conductor (calculates an assignment of their values) with DO loops. Models like this illustrate to the new and even to the old SINDA/FLUINT user, features of the program that are not so obvious or known, and that are extremely handy when trying to take advantage of both, the automation of the DATA headers and make surgical modifications to specific parameters of the thermal or fluid elements in the OPERATIONS portion of the model.

Simmonds, Boris G.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Synthetic aperture radar target detection, feature extraction, and image formation techniques

This report presents new algorithms for target detection, feature extraction, and image formation with the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology. For target detection, we consider target detection with SAR and coherent subtraction. We also study how the image false alarm rates are related to the target template false alarm rates when target templates are used for target detection. For feature extraction from SAR images, we present a computationally efficient eigenstructure-based 2D-MODE algorithm for two-dimensional frequency estimation. For SAR image formation, we present a robust parametric data model for estimating high resolution range signatures of radar targets and for forming high resolution SAR images.

Li, Jian↗
NASA NTRS1994

Predicting and explaining the movement of mesoscale oceanographic features using CLIPS

The Naval Research Laboratory has developed an oceanographic expert system that describes the evolution of mesoscale features in the Gulf Stream region of the northwest Atlantic Ocean. These features include the Gulf Stream current and the warm and cold core eddies associated with the Gulf Stream. An explanation capability was added to the eddy prediction component of the expert system in order to allow the system to justify the reasoning process it uses to make predictions. The eddy prediction and explanation components of the system have recently been redesigned and translated from OPS83 to C and CLIPS and the new system is called WATE (Where Are Those Eddies). The new design has improved the system's readability, understandability and maintainability and will also allow the system to be incorporated into the Semi-Automated Mesoscale Analysis System which will eventually be embedded into the Navy's Tactical Environmental Support System, Third Generation, TESS(3).

Bridges, Susan↗
NASA NTRS1993

Investigations on the 1.7 micron residual absorption feature in the vegetation reflection spectrum

The detection and interpretation of the weak absorption features associated with the biochemical components of vegetation is of great potential interest to a variety of applications ranging from classification to global change studies. This recent subject is also challenging because the spectral signature of the biochemicals is only detectable as a small distortion of the infrared spectrum which is mainly governed by water. Furthermore, the interpretation is complicated by complexity of the molecules (lignin, cellulose, starch, proteins) which contain a large number of different and common chemical bonds. In this paper, we present investigations on the absorption feature centered at 1.7 micron; these were conducted both on AVIRIS data and laboratory reflectance spectra of leaves.

Verdebout, J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Unique features of a new nickel-hydrogen 2-cell CPV

Two-cell nickel-hydrogen common pressure vessel (CPV) units with some unusual design features have been successfully built and tested. The features of interest are half-normal platinum loading for the negative electrodes, the use of rabbit-ear terminals for a CPV unit, and the incorporation of a wall wick. The units have a nominal capacity of 20 Ah and are 3.5 inches in diameter. Electric performance data are provided. The data support the growing viability of the two-cell CPV design concept.

Wheeler, James R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Mars aeolian sand: Regional variations among dark-hued crater floor features

Different regions on Mars appear to have low-albedo intracrater deposits that have distinct regional thermophysical and/or aeolian dune characteristics. Thermal inertia derived from a carefully selected set of Viking infrared thermal mapper observations of the dark features obtained in 1977-1978 supports this conclusion. The observed similarities and differences among dark intracrater features on Mars is probably a function of the combined influences of sand availability and regional wind conditions.

Edgett, Kenneth S.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Observational features of cosmic gamma-ray bursts: Evidence for Galactic versus extragalactic origin

The recent observational data on gamma-ray bursts are reviewed. Burst time histories display features at the millisecond level which suggest a compact object origin. Lines in the energy spectra and spectral evolution point toward a Galactic neutron star origin, even though line features have not yet been confirmed in recent data. The Galactic distribution of burst sources, however, is both isotropic and sampled to its characteristic distance, making it unlikely that the sources are related to populations of Galactic neutrons stars we are familiar with. Counterpart searches, previously carried out years after the gamma-ray bursts, are now proceeding days after the events. Based on the current data, it is impossible to conclude whether bursters are Galactic, extragalactic, or both. Data being returned from current experiments, as well as data from new experiments to be launched in the next few years, may yet provide the answer.

Hurley, Kevin↗
NASA NTRS1994

Ly(alpha) emission and absorption features in the spectra of galaxies

The combined effects of interstellar dust absorption and of scattering by hydrogen atoms may give rise to a Ly(alpha) spectral feature of negative equivalent width, as has been observed in several star-forming galaxies. By considering the transfer of Ly(alpha) line radiation and of neighboring stellar continuum radiation within a dusty galaxy, we find that dust absorption has three effects: (1) it reduces the apparent ultraviolet continuum luminosity at all wavelengths; (2) it preferentially decreases the apparent Ly(alpha) line luminosity from H II regions; and (3) it creates an 'attenuation feature' in the continuum spectrum -- centered at the Ly(alpha) rest frequency -- which occurs because the attenuation of the stellar continuum radiation increases as the Ly(alpha) rest frequency is approached, due to the effects of scattering by hydrogen atoms. For plausible values of the galactic dust content and of the disk thickness, these effects can lead to a negative net Ly(alpha) equivalent width, even for galaxies in which the unattenuated spectrum would show a strong Ly(alpha) emission line.

Chen, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Polarization features of solar radio emission and possible existence of current sheets in active regions

We show that it is possible to account for the polarization features of solar radio emission provided the linear mode coupling theory is properly applied and the presence of current sheets in the corona is taken into account. We present a schematic model, including a current sheet that can explain the polarization features of both the low frequency slowly varying component and the bipolar noise storm radiation; the two radiations face similar propagation conditions through a current sheet and hence display similar polarization behavior. We discuss the applications of the linear mode coupling theory to the following types of solar emission: the slowly varying component, the microwave radio bursts, metric type U bursts, and bipolar noise storms.

Gopalswamy, N.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Ultraviolet spectra of quenched carbonaceous composite derivatives: Comparison to the '217 nanometer' interstellar absorption feature

QCCs (quenched carbonaceous composite) are amorphus carbonaceous material formed from a hydrocarbon plasma. We present the UV-visible spectra of 'filmy QCC; (obtained outside of the beam ejected from the hydrocarbon plasma) and 'dark QCC' (obtained very near to the beam) for comparison to the stellar extinction curve. When filmy QCC is heated to 500-700 C (thermally altered), the wavelength of the absorption maximum increases form 204 nm to 220-222 nm. The dark QCC has an absorption maximum at 217-222 nm. In addition, the thermally altered filmy QCC has a slope change at about 500 nm which resmbles that in the interstellar extinction curve. The resemblance of the extinction curve of the QCCs to that of the interstellar medium suggests that QCC derivatives may be representative of the type of interstellar material that produces the 217 nm interstellar medium feature. The peak extinction of the dark QCC is higher than the average interstellar extinction curve while that of the thermally altered filmy QCC is lower, so that a mixture of dark and thermally altered filmy QCC can match the peak extinction observed in the interstellar medium. It is shown from electron micrographs that most of the thermally altered flimy QCC is in the form of small grainy structure less than 4 nm in diameter. This shows that the structure unit causing the 217-222 nm feature in QCC is very small.

Sakata, Akira↗
NASA NTRS1997

System and Method for Modeling the Flow Performance Features of an Object

The method and apparatus includes a neural network for generating a model of an object in a wind tunnel from performance data on the object. The network is trained from test input signals (e.g., leading edge flap position, trailing edge flap position, angle of attack, and other geometric configurations, and power settings) and test output signals (e.g., lift, drag, pitching moment, or other performance features). In one embodiment, the neural network training method employs a modified Levenberg-Marquardt optimization technique. The model can be generated 'real time' as wind tunnel testing proceeds. Once trained, the model is used to estimate performance features associated with the aircraft given geometric configuration and/or power setting input. The invention can also be applied in other similar static flow modeling applications in aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, fluid dynamics, and other such disciplines. For example, the static testing of cars, sails, and foils, propellers, keels, rudders, turbines, fins, and the like, in a wind tunnel, water trough, or other flowing medium.

Jorgensen, Charles↗