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At least 523 records · Page 29

Experimental evaluation of trailing edge and incidence fluctuation noise theories

Tests were conducted to evaluate conflicting theories for trailing edge noise and for incidence fluctuation noise. A flat-plate airfoil with flush-mounted surface pressure transducers was tested in an anechoic wind tunnel at velocities from 31.5 to 177 m/sec and nominal 4 and 6% grid-generated turbulence levels. In one series of runs, the airfoil was faired into the tunnel nozzle and extended beyond the nozzle lip for studies of trailing edge noise without a leading edge and with flow on only one side. Such noise was found to vary with velocity to the fifth power and turbulence level squared as predicted by Ffowcs Williams and Hall (1970) and by Chase (1972). Power spectral density at high frequencies decayed approximately inversely with frequency to the 10/3 power as predicted by Chase. The data were poorly predicted by Hayden's correlation (1969, 1972).

Fink, M. R.↗

The effects of argon in the bioenergetics of the hamster and the rat

Oxygen consumption was examined in hamsters and rats exposed to normoxic mixtures of argon at 1 atm. In fasted and nonfasted animals, no marked change in O2 utilization was detectable at 22 C. However, at 7 C a significant decrease in oxygen consumption was observed where the animals were exposed in argon. The data are interpreted in terms of the greater thermal conductivity of nitrogen. The study was prompted by conflicting reports on the metabolic effects of argon and helium.

Tempel, G. E.↗

Influence of head orientation on visually induced pitch and roll sensation

Observers viewing rotating scenes in their periphery frequently experience self-motion in the opposite direction. A full field flight simulator projection system was used to investigate the sensations resulting from pitch, roll, and yaw stimuli at various head orientations. Steady yaw rate (circularvection) and development of a constant roll tilt angle, for the head erect and constant velocity yaw and roll stimuli, confirmed previous reports. Pitch stimuli also were found to produce a sensation of tilting to a steady pitch angle, which was much stronger for pitch forward than backward. Pitch and roll effects were strongly dependent on head position, increasing for the head rolled 90 deg to the side or inverted, and decreasing for the head pitched 25 deg forward. These results support a hypothesis that visually induced tilt is limited by conflict with otolith information.

Young, L. R.↗

Choice-reaction time to visual motion with varied levels of simultaneous rotary motion

Twelve airline pilots were studied to determine the effects of whole-body rotation on choice-reaction time to the horizontal motion of a line on a cathode-ray tube. On each trial, one of five levels of visual acceleration and five corresponding proportions of rotary acceleration were presented simultaneously. Reaction time to the visual motion decreased with increasing levels of visual motion and increased with increasing proportions of rotary acceleration. The results conflict with general theories of facilitation during double stimulation but are consistent with neural-clock model of sensory interaction in choice-reaction time.

Clark, B.↗

Simulation of 4D RNAV in the terminal area

A terminal area control concept based on 4D RNAV (3D plus time) has been developed to take full advantage of STOL aircrafts' unique performance capabilities. The 4D RNAV concept involves an airborne system, a ground system and a protocol for information exchange between aircraft and ground. The function of the airborne system is to synthesize the curved three dimensional (3D) flight path, to predict and control the landing time (4D) and to generate flight director or autopilot commands. The airborne system assumes the ground system will specify the 3D path and assign a conflict-free landing time. A real time simulation of this concept has been developed to evaluate its effectiveness for terminal areas control of STOL aicraft. Key elements of the simulation are a computer graphics traffic display, a scheduling display and a keyboard language for issuing controller commands to simulated aircraft. Initial results and planned experiments are described.

Tobias, L.↗

The Apollo 16 microbial response to space environment experiment

The effect was evaluated of a particular space flight on the survival rate of nine different species. Although a reasonable variety of organisms (viruses, yeasts, filamentous fungi, bacteria, and an invertebrate) were tested under several different conditions, no statistically valid differences could be detected in the survival of flight samples when compared to corresponding ground-based controls. In general, these evaluations were based on multiple observations of from ten to thirty replicates of up to one million cells each. While the results conflict with those of certain other space flight investigations, it is observed that the conditions of a particular space flight cannot be exactly duplicated, and therefore results from different flights are not directly comparable.

Gerald R. Taylor↗

Controlling the potential hazards of government-sponsored technology

The ability was examined of governmental agencies to adequately assess technological programs or projects to which they are committed. The hazards of government-sponsored activities are discussed; these include weather modification, supersonic transport noise, and the value conflicts involved in the fluoridation controversy. These three case studies indicate that the Federal vested interests in the continuation of its technological programs limit its ability to provide adequate technology assessment.

Wollan, M. J.↗

Research on habituation to novel visual-vestibular environments with particular reference to space flight

Progress in the development of a cohesive theory of the underlying physiological mechanisms associated with spatial orientation in unusual environments is described. Results can be applied to providing means of preventing and/or minimizing the space motion sickness which has been observed during prolonged space missions. Three major areas were investigated: (1) the interaction of visual and vestibular cues in conflict in the human, (2) the plasticity of the vestibulo-ocular reflex in monkeys, and (3) end organ function in the ray with particular emphasis on the effect of ionic concentration.

Young, L. R.↗

Continued urbanization of the United States is causing the deterioration of the central city; costly suburban developments; and increases in congestion, pollution, crime, violence and alienation

It is shown that urban sprawl and the abuses of technological industries result in substantial environmental and economic costs at the expense of center city locations and populations. Socioeconomic deterioration and modification of the biosphere triggers climatic and environmental changes leading to ecosystem damage and destruction, health consequences and international conflict.

Source record↗

Technology and politics: The regional airport experience

The findings of a comparative study of the following six regional airports were presented: Dallas/Fort Worth, Kansas City, Washington, D.C., Montreal, Tampa, and St. Louis. Each case was approached as a unique historical entity, in order to investigate common elements such as: the use of predictive models in planning, the role of symbolism to heighten dramatic effects, the roles of community and professional elites, and design flexibility. Some of the factors considered were: site selection, consolidation of airline service, accessibility, land availability and cost, safety, nuisance, and pollution constraints, economic growth, expectation of regional growth, the demand forecasting conundrum, and design decisions. The hypotheses developed include the following: the effect of political, social, and economic conflicts, the stress on large capacity and dramatic, high-technology design, projections of rapid growth to explain the need for large capital outlays.

Starling, J. D.↗

Uncertain dynamical systems: A differential game approach

A class of dynamical systems in a conflict situation is formulated and discussed, and the formulation is applied to the study of an important class of systems in the presence of uncertainty. The uncertainty is deterministic and the only assumption is that its value belongs to a known compact set. Asymptotic stability is fully discussed with application to variable structure and model reference control systems.

Gutman, S.↗

Quiet Clean Short-Haul Experimental Engine (QCSEE) aerodynamic characteristics of 30.5 centimeter diameter inlets

A low speed test program was conducted in a 9- by 15-foot V/STOL wind tunnel to investigate internal performance characteristics and determine key design features required for an inlet to meet the demanding operational conditions of the QCSEE application. Four models each having a design average throat Mach number of 0.79 were tested over a range of incidence angle, throat Mach number, and freestream velocity. Principal design variable was internal lip diameter ratio. Stable, efficient inlet performance was found to be feasible at and beyond the 50 deg incidence angle required by the QCSEE application at its 41.2 m/sec (80 knot) nominal takeoff velocity, through suitably designed inlet lip and diffuser components. Forebody design was found to significantly impact flow stability via nose curvature. Measured inlet wall pressures were used to select a location for the inlet throat Mach number control's static pressure port that properly balanced the conflicting demands of relative insensitivity to flow incidence and sufficiently high response to changes in engine flow demand.

Paul, D. L.↗

Radiation of cylindrical duct acoustic modes with flow mismatch

Motivated by the problem of Mach number and temperature discontinuity mismatch between the tailpipe and the surrounding medium, and the effect of this flow mismatch on aircraft engine noise, the radiation of spinning turbo-acoustic modes from a round duct is investigated. The model, based on a plug flow exhaust jet, solves the convected wave equations using Fourier transforms, inversion being accomplished via a coupled Wiener-Hopf and Carrier-Koiter technique. It is concluded that the Mach number discontinuity results in a conflict between convection and refraction effects, while the temperature mismatch results in a sharp beaming of sound off to the side.

Savkar, S. D.↗

Comment on resonance broadening

The conflicting results describing the relationship between line width and absorber density in resonance broadening are considered. A reexamination of some of these experiments points to a common difficulty - large optical depth. Formulas are given which approximate the widths and dependencies observed under optically thick conditions. It is concluded that a resonance breadth which is linear with density is consistent with all of the observations and that there is no solid basis for a square root dependence at low density.

Exton, R. J.↗

Perception of linear horizontal self-motion induced by peripheral vision /linearvection/ - Basic characteristics and visual-vestibular interactions

The basic characteristics of the sensation of linear horizontal motion have been studied. Objective linear motion was induced by means of a moving cart. Visually induced linear motion perception (linearvection) was obtained by projection of moving images at the periphery of the visual field. Image velocity and luminance thresholds for the appearance of linearvection have been measured and are in the range of those for image motion detection (without sensation of self motion) by the visual system. Latencies of onset are around 1 sec and short term adaptation has been shown. The dynamic range of the visual analyzer as judged by frequency analysis is lower than the vestibular analyzer. Conflicting situations in which visual cues contradict vestibular and other proprioceptive cues show, in the case of linearvection a dominance of vision which supports the idea of an essential although not independent role of vision in self motion perception.

Berthoz, A.↗

Solar irradiance - Total and spectral and its possible variations

The present status of our knowledge of the total and spectral irradiance of the sun is briefly reviewed. The currently accepted NASA/ASTM standard values of the solar constant and the extraterrestrial solar spectral irradiance are presented. The uncertainties in these values are relatively high. Data on the variability of the solar constant are conflicting and inconclusive. The variability of solar spectral irradiance is almost totally unknown and unexplored. Some alleged sun-weather relationships are cited in support of the need to know more precisely the variations in total and spectral solar irradiance. An overview of the solar monitoring program of NASA is presented, with special emphasis on the Solar Energy Monitor in Space (SEMIS) experiment which has been proposed for several spacecraft missions. The monitor is a combination of a solar-constant detector and a prism monochromator.

Thekaekara, M. P.↗

Software handlers for process interfaces

The principles involved in the development of software handlers for custom interfacing problems are discussed. Handlers for the CAMAC standard are examined in detail. The types of transactions that must be supported have been established by standards groups, eliminating conflicting requirements arising out of different design philosophies and applications. Implementation of the standard handlers has been facilititated by standardization of hardware. The necessary local processors can be placed in the handler when it is written or at run time by means of input/output directives, or they can be built into a high-performance input/output processor. The full benefits of these process interfaces will only be realized when software requirements are incorporated uniformly into the hardware.

Bercaw, R. W.↗

Some aspects of core formation in Mercury

Some questions dealing with the nature and history of a large metallic core within Mercury are considered. These include the existence of a core, its size, whether it is fluid or solid, the timescale for core formation, the geological consequences of core formation, and whether such consequences are consistent with the surface geology. Several indirect lines of evidence are discussed which suggest the presence of a large iron-rich core. A core-formation model is examined in which core infall is accompanied by an increase of 17 km in planetary radius, an increase of 700 K in mean internal temperature, and substantial melting of the mantle. It is argued that if the core differentiated from an originally homogeneous planet, that event must have predated the oldest geological units comprising most of the planetary surface. A convective dynamo model for the source of Mercury's magnetic field is shown to conflict with cosmochemical models that do not predict a substantial radiogenic heat source in the core.

Solomon, S. C.↗