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At least 541 records · Page 30

Surface Tension Driven Convection Experiment Completed

The Surface Tension Driven Convection Experiment (STDCE) was designed to study basic fluid mechanics and heat transfer on thermocapillary flows generated by temperature variations along the free surfaces of liquids in microgravity. STDCE first flew on the USML-1 mission in July 1992 and was rebuilt for the USML-2 mission that was launched in October 1995. This was a collaborative project with principal investigators from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), Professors Simon Ostrach and Yasuhiro Kamotani, along with a team from the NASA Lewis Research Center composed of civil servants and contractors from Aerospace Design & Fabrication, Inc. (ADF), Analex, and NYMA, Inc.

Jacobson, Thomas P.↗

Chemical Mechanical Polishing of Silicon Carbide

The High Temperature Integrated Electronics and Sensors (HTIES) team at the NASA Lewis Research Center is developing silicon carbide (SiC) as an enabling electronic technology for many aerospace applications. The Lewis team is focusing on the chemical vapor deposition of the thin, single-crystal SiC films from which devices are fabricated. These films, which are deposited (i.e., epitaxially "grown") on commercial wafers, must consist of a single crystal with very few structural defects so that the derived devices perform satisfactorily and reliably. Working in collaboration (NASA grant) with Professor Pirouz of Case Western Reserve University, we developed a chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) technique for removing the subsurface polishing damage prior to epitaxial growth of the single-crystal SiC films.

Powell, J. Anthony↗

Microbial structural diversity estimated by dilution-extinction of phenotypic traits and T-RFLP analysis along a land-use intensification gradient

The present work tested whether the relationship between functional traits and inoculum density reflected structural diversity in bacterial communities from a land-use intensification gradient applying a mathematical model. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis was also performed to provide an independent assessment of species richness. Successive 10-fold dilutions of a soil suspension were inoculated onto Biolog GN(R) microplates. Soil bacterial density was determined by total cell and plate counts. The relationship between phenotypic traits and inoculum density fit the model, allowing the estimation of maximal phenotypic potential (Rmax) and inoculum density (KI) at which Rmax will be half-reduced. Though Rmax decreased with time elapsed since clearing of native vegetation, KI remained high in two of the disturbed sites. The genetic pool of bacterial community did not experience a significant reduction, but the active fraction responding in the Biolog assay was adversely affected, suggesting a reduction in the functional potential. c2004 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

NASA Center KSC↗

Feasibility Study of a Nuclear-Stirling Plant for the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter

NASA is undertaking the design of a new spacecraft to explore the planet Jupiter and its three moons Calisto, Ganymede and Europa. This proposed mission, known as Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) would use a nuclear reactor and an associated electrical generation system (Reactor Power Plant-RPP) to provide power to the spacecraft. The JIMO spacecraft is envisioned to use this power for science and communications as well as Electric Propulsion (EP). Among other potential power-generating concepts, previous studies have considered Thermoelectric and Brayton Power conversion systems, coupled to a liquid metal reactor for the JIMO mission. This paper will explore trades in system mass and radiator area for a nuclear reactor power conversion system, however this study will focus on Stirling power conversion. The Stirling convertor modeled in this study is based upon the Component Test Power Convertor design that was designed and operated successfully under the Civil Space Technology Initiative for use with the SP-100 nuclear reactor i the 1980's and early 1990's. The study design is such that two of the four convertors would operate at any time to generate the 100 kWe while the others are held in reserve. For this study the Stirling convertors hot-side temperature is 1050 K, would operate at a temperature ratio of 2.4 for a minimum mass system and would have a system efficiency of 29%. The Stirling convertor would generate high voltage (400 volt), 100 Hz single phase AC that is supplied to the Power Management and Distribution system. The waste hear is removed from the Stirling convertors by a flowing liquid sodium-potassium eutectic and then rejected by a shared radiator. The radiator consists of two coplanar wings, which would be deployed after the reactor is in space. System trades were performed to vary cycle state point temperatures and convertor design as well as power output. Other redundancy combinations were considered to understand the affects of convertor size and number of spares to the system mass.

Schmitz, Paul C.↗

The Training Process of the Organization Development and Training Office

The Organization Development and Training Office provides training and development opportunities to employees at NASA Glenn Research Center, as a division of the Office of Human Resources and Workforce Planning. Center-wide required trainings, new employee trainings, workshops and career development programs are organized by the OD&TO staff. They also arrange all academic, non-academic, headquarters, fellowship and learning center sponsored courses. They also service organizations wishing to work more effectively by facilitating teambuilding exercises. Equal Opportunity programs and upward mobility programs such as the STEP and GO programs for administrative staff. In working with my mentor I am very involved with Cuyahoga Community College classes, mandatory supervisory training and administrative staff workshops. My largest tasks are in the secretarial training category. The Supporting Organizations And Relationships workshop for administrative personnel, commonly known as SOAR, began last year and continued this summer with follow-up workshops. Months before a workshop or class is brought to Glenn, a need has to be realized. In this case, administrative staff did not feel they had an opportunity to receive relevant training and develop skills through teambuilding, networking and communication. A Statement of work is then created as several companies are contacted about providing the training. After the company best suited to meet the target group s needs is selected, the course is announced with an outline of all pertinent information. A reservation for a facility is made and applications or nominations, depending on the announcement s guidelines, are received from interested employees. Confirmations are sent to participants and final preparations are made but there are still several concluding steps. A training office staff member also assists the facilitator with setting up the facility and introducing the class. After the class, participants evaluations are read and summarized to determine the effectiveness of the class and instructor. In addition to the SOAR workshops, I have several projects and daily tasks to complete. Coding training applications, which require me to be familiar with Glenn s budgetary allocations and policies on training, is an ongoing process. It also requires verifying information reported by an employee via her C-478 form, more commonly known as the training application. I am also the point of contact for the Cuyahoga Community College Advising Sessions held here at NASA Glenn which involves coordinating counselors visits with employees schedules. Two databases had to be created. The first database holds information on administrative staff, and the other tracks supervisors training histories. Through these assignments I gained experience in Microsoft Access 2002 and spreadsheet creation, communicating with co-workers, and successfully facilitating a training to serve specific purposes. With trainings and evaluations to assessment them, the Organization Development and Training Office can assure a quality product and continued customer satisfaction.

Johnson, Melissa S.↗

Solid oxidized fuel cells seals leakage setup and testing

As the world s reserves of fossil fuels are depleted, the U.S. Government, as well as other countries and private industries, is researching solutions for obtaining power, answers that would be more efficient and environmentally friendly. For a long time engineers have been trying to obtain the benefits of clean electric power without heavy batteries or pollution-producing engines. While some of the inventions proved to be effective (i.e. solar panels or windmills) their applications are limited due to dependency on the energy source (i.e. sun or wind). Currently, as energy concerns increase, research is being carried out on the development of a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC). The United States government is taking a proactive role in expanding the technology through the Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) Program, which is coordinated by the Department of Energy. into an electrical energy. This occurs by the means of natural tendency of oxygen and hydrogen to chemically react. While controlling the process, it is possible to harvest the energy given off by the reaction. SOFCs use currently available fossil fuels and convert a variety of those fuels with very high efficiency (about 40% more efficient than modem thermal power plants). At the same time they are almost entirely nonpolluting and due to their size they can be placed in remote areas. The main fields where the application of the fuel cells appears to be the most useful for are stationary energy sources, transportation, and military applications. structure and materials must be resolved. All the components must be operational in harsh environments including temperatures reaching 800 C and cyclic thermal- mechanical loading. Under these conditions, the main concern is the requirement for hermetic seals to: (1) prevent mixing of the fuel and oxidant within the stack, (2) prevent parasitic leakage of the fuel from the stack, (3) prevent contamination of the anode by air leaking into the stack, (4) electrically isolate the individual cells within the stack, and (5) mechanically bond the cell components. The sealing challenges are aggravated by the need to maintain hermetic boundaries between the different flow paths within the fuel cell throughout cycled operation. Within the timeframe of my tenure, the main objective is to assist in building a state-of-art test facility.

Bastrzyk, Marta B.↗

Security Management and Safeguards Office

The Security Management and Safeguards Office at NASA is here to keep the people working in a safe environment. They also are here to protect the buildings and documents from sabotage, espionage, and theft. During the summer of 2004, I worked with Richard Soppet in Physical Security. While I was working here I helped out with updating the map that we currently use at NASA Glenn Research Center, attended meetings for homeland security, worked with the security guards and the locksmith. The meetings that I attended for homeland security talked about how to protect ourselves before something happened, they told us to always be on the guard and look for anything suspicious, and the different ways that terrorist groups operate. When I was with the security guards I was taught how to check someone into the base, showed how to use a radar gun, observed a security guard make a traffic stop for training and was with them while they patrolled NASA Glenn Research Center to make sure things were running smooth and no one was in danger. When I was with the lock smith I was taught how to make keys and locks for the employees here at NASA. The lock smith also showed me that he had inventory cabinets of files that show how many keys were out to people and who currently has access to the rooms that they keys were made for. I also helped out the open house at NASA Glenn Research Center. I helped out by showing the Army Reserves, and Brook Park's SWAT team where all the main events were going to take place a week before the open house was going to begin. Then during the open house I helped out by making sure people had there IDS, checked through there bags, and handed out a map to them that showed where the different activities were going to take place. So the main job here at NASA Glenn Research Center for the Security Management and Safeguards Office is to make sure that nothing is stolen, sabotaged, and espionaged. Also most importantly make sure all the employees here at NASA are in a safe environment.

Bewley, Nathaniel M.↗

Generation of Electrical Power from Stimulated Muscle Contractions Evaluated

This project is a collaborative effort between NASA Glenn Research Center's Revolutionary Aeropropulsion Concepts (RAC) Project, part of the NASA Aerospace Propulsion and Power Program of the Aerospace Technology Enterprise, and Case Western Reserve University's Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) Center. The RAC Project foresees implantable power requirements for future applications such as organically based sensor platforms and robotics that can interface with the human senses. One of the goals of the FES Center is to develop a totally implantable neural prosthesis. This goal is based on feedback from patients who would prefer a system with an internal power source over the currently used system with an external power source. The conversion system under investigation would transform the energy produced from a stimulated muscle contraction into electrical energy. We hypothesize that the output power of the system will be greater than the input power necessary to initiate, sustain, and control the electrical conversion system because of the stored potential energy of the muscle. If the system can be made biocompatible, durable, and with the potential for sustained use, then the biological power source will be a viable solution.

Lewandowski, Beth↗

Thin-Film Ceramic Thermocouples Fabricated and Tested

The Sensors and Electronics Technology Branch of the NASA Glenn Research Center is developing thin-film-based sensors for surface measurement in propulsion system research. Thin-film sensors do not require special machining of the components on which they are mounted, and they are considerably thinner than wire- or foil-based sensors. One type of sensor being advanced is the thin-film thermocouple, specifically for applications in high-temperature combustion environments. Ceramics are being demonstrated as having the potential to meet the demands of thin-film thermocouples in advanced aerospace environments. The maximum-use temperature of noble metal thin-film thermocouples, 1500 C (2700 F), may not be adequate for components used in the increasingly harsh conditions of advanced aircraft and next-generation launch vehicles. Ceramic-based thermocouples are known for their high stability and robustness at temperatures exceeding 1500 C, but are typically in the form of bulky rods or probes. As part of ASTP, Glenn's Sensors and Electronics Technology Branch is leading an in-house effort to apply ceramics as thin-film thermocouples for extremely high-temperature applications as part of ASTP. Since the purity of the ceramics is crucial for the stability of the thermocouples, Glenn's Ceramics Branch and Case Western Reserve University are developing high-purity ceramic sputtering targets for fabricating high-temperature sensors. Glenn's Microsystems Fabrication Laboratory, supported by the Akima Corporation, is using these targets to fabricate thermocouple samples for testing. The first of the materials used were chromium silicide (CrSi) and tantalum carbide (TaC). These refractory materials are expected to survive temperatures in excess of 1500 C. Preliminary results indicate that the thermoelectric voltage output of a thin-film CrSi versus TaC thermocouple is 15 times that of the standard type R (platinum-rhodium versus platinum) thermocouple, producing 20 mV with a 200 C temperature gradient. The photograph on the left shows the CrSi-TaC thermocouple in a test fixture at Glenn, and the resulting output signal is shown on the right. The temperature differential across the sample, from the center of the sample inside the oven to the sample mount outside the oven, is measured using a type R thermocouple on the sample.

Wrbanek, John D.↗

Hydrogen Sensors Demonstrated on the Shuttle

Microelectromechanical-systems- (MEMS-) based hydrogen sensor technology developed by the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field and Case Western Reserve University was demonstrated on shuttle missions STS-95 (Senator Glenn s mission) and STS-96. These smart sensors, commercialized by Makel Engineering Inc., were part of an "Integrated Vehicle Health Monitoring HEDS Technology Demonstration" series conducted at the NASA Kennedy Space Center. The experiments were designed to demonstrate the effect of technological upgrades on shuttle performance. The hydrogen sensors were micro-fabricated for minimal size, weight, and power consumption. A temperature detector and heater were included on the sensor for temperature control. Two palladium chrome (PdCr) hydrogen detection devices were included in each sensor package: a Schottky diode for low concentrations and a resistor for high concentrations. These sensor designs allow operation in inert environments. "Smart" electronics developed by Makel Engineering were integrated with the sensors to control the sensor temperature and process the output of the various sensors. This complete hydrogen detection system (two sensors on a chip with smart electronics) flew on STS-95 (launched October 1998) and STS-96 (launched May 1999). It was installed in the aft compartment of the shuttle and used to monitor the hydrogen concentration in that region. Up to this time, a mass spectrometer had monitored the hydrogen concentration in the aft compartment before launch, and "grab" bottles had been used after launch. The inside of these bottles is at vacuum. During flight, the grab bottles are pyrotechnically opened for a brief period, and the gas in the aft compartment is captured in the bottle. Several of these bottles are opened at different times during takeoff, and their contents are used to determine the time profile of the gases in the aft chamber. However, this information is not available until after the flight. On the launch pad, results from the new sensor technology paralleled the responses of the mass spectrometer with, in some cases, a quicker response time. In flight, data from the new sensors agreed with those derived from analyzing the contents of the grab bottles. Moreover, this microsensor can monitor the aft compartment continuously and, in principle, could monitor the health of the vehicle in real time during flight.

Hunter, Gary W.↗

Radiation analysis for manned missions to the Jupiter system

An analysis for manned missions targeted to the Jovian system has been performed in the framework of the NASA RASC (Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts) program on Human Exploration beyond Mars. The missions were targeted to the Jupiter satellite Callisto. The mission analysis has been divided into three main phases, namely the interplanetary cruise, the Jupiter orbital insertion, and the surface landing and exploration phases. The interplanetary phase is based on departure from the Earth-Moon L1 point. Interplanetary trajectories based on the use of different propulsion systems have been considered, with resulting overall cruise phase duration varying between two and five years. The Jupiter-approach and the orbital insertion trajectories are considered in detail, with the spacecraft crossing the Jupiter radiation belts and staying around the landing target. In the surface exploration phase the stay on the Callisto surface is considered. The satellite surface composition has been modeled based on the most recent results from the GALILEO spacecraft. In the transport computations the surface backscattering has been duly taken into account. Particle transport has been performed with the HZETRN heavy ion code for hadrons and with an in-house developed transport code for electrons and bremsstrahlung photons. The obtained doses have been compared to dose exposure limits. c2004 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NASA Center LaRC↗

Detection of microlesions induced by heavy ions using liposomes filled with fluorescent dye

In cells irradiation by heavy ions has been hypothesized to produce microlesions, regions of local damage. In cell membranes this damage is thought to manifest itself in the form of holes. The primary evidence for microlesions comes from morphological studies of cell membranes, but this evidence is still controversial, especially since holes also have been observed in membranes of normal, nonirradiated, cells. However, it is possible that damage not associated with histologically discernable disruptions may still occur. In order to resolve this issue, we developed a system for detecting microlesions based on liposomes filled with fluorescent dye. We hypothesized that if microlesions form in these liposomes as the result of irradiation, then the entrapped dye will leak out into the surrounding medium in a measurable way. Polypropylene vials containing suspensions of vesicles composed of either dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine, or a combination of egg phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol were irradiated at the Brookhaven National Laboratory using 56Fe ions at 1 GeV/amu. In several cases we obtained a significant loss of the entrapped dye above the background level. Our results suggest that holes may form in liposomes as the result of heavy ion irradiation, and that these holes are large enough to allow leakage of cell internal contents that are at least as large as a 1 nm diameter calcein molecule. c2004 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-NASA Center↗

Role of shielding in modulating the effects of solar particle events: Monte Carlo calculation of absorbed dose and DNA complex lesions in different organs

Distributions of absorbed dose and DNA clustered damage yields in various organs and tissues following the October 1989 solar particle event (SPE) were calculated by coupling the FLUKA Monte Carlo transport code with two anthropomorphic phantoms (a mathematical model and a voxel model), with the main aim of quantifying the role of the shielding features in modulating organ doses. The phantoms, which were assumed to be in deep space, were inserted into a shielding box of variable thickness and material and were irradiated with the proton spectra of the October 1989 event. Average numbers of DNA lesions per cell in different organs were calculated by adopting a technique already tested in previous works, consisting of integrating into "condensed-history" Monte Carlo transport codes--such as FLUKA--yields of radiobiological damage, either calculated with "event-by-event" track structure simulations, or taken from experimental works available in the literature. More specifically, the yields of "Complex Lesions" (or "CL", defined and calculated as a clustered DNA damage in a previous work) per unit dose and DNA mass (CL Gy-1 Da-1) due to the various beam components, including those derived from nuclear interactions with the shielding and the human body, were integrated in FLUKA. This provided spatial distributions of CL/cell yields in different organs, as well as distributions of absorbed doses. The contributions of primary protons and secondary hadrons were calculated separately, and the simulations were repeated for values of Al shielding thickness ranging between 1 and 20 g/cm2. Slight differences were found between the two phantom types. Skin and eye lenses were found to receive larger doses with respect to internal organs; however, shielding was more effective for skin and lenses. Secondary particles arising from nuclear interactions were found to have a minor role, although their relative contribution was found to be larger for the Complex Lesions than for the absorbed dose, due to their higher LET and thus higher biological effectiveness. c2004 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-NASA Center↗

The FLUKA code for space applications: recent developments

The FLUKA Monte Carlo transport code is widely used for fundamental research, radioprotection and dosimetry, hybrid nuclear energy system and cosmic ray calculations. The validity of its physical models has been benchmarked against a variety of experimental data over a wide range of energies, ranging from accelerator data to cosmic ray showers in the earth atmosphere. The code is presently undergoing several developments in order to better fit the needs of space applications. The generation of particle spectra according to up-to-date cosmic ray data as well as the effect of the solar and geomagnetic modulation have been implemented and already successfully applied to a variety of problems. The implementation of suitable models for heavy ion nuclear interactions has reached an operational stage. At medium/high energy FLUKA is using the DPMJET model. The major task of incorporating heavy ion interactions from a few GeV/n down to the threshold for inelastic collisions is also progressing and promising results have been obtained using a modified version of the RQMD-2.4 code. This interim solution is now fully operational, while waiting for the development of new models based on the FLUKA hadron-nucleus interaction code, a newly developed QMD code, and the implementation of the Boltzmann master equation theory for low energy ion interactions. c2004 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-NASA Center↗

Radiation-induced bystander effect and adaptive response in mammalian cells

Two conflicting phenomena, bystander effect and adaptive response, are important in determining the biological responses at low doses of radiation and have the potential to impact the shape of the dose-response relationship. Using the Columbia University charged-particle microbeam and the highly sensitive AL cell mutagenic assay, we show here that non-irradiated cells acquire mutagenesis through direct contact with cells whose nuclei have been traversed with a single alpha particle each. Pretreatment of cells with a low dose of X-rays four hours before alpha particle irradiation significantly decreased this bystander mutagenic response. Results from the present study address some of the fundamental issues regarding both the actual target and radiation dose effect and can contribute to our current understanding in radiation risk assessment. c2004 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗

Simultaneous measurement of multiple radiation-induced protein expression profiles using the Luminex(TM) system

Space flight results in the exposure of astronauts to a mixed field of radiation composed of energetic particles of varying energies, and biological indicators of space radiation exposure provides a better understanding of the associated long-term health risks. Current methods of biodosimetry have employed the use of cytogenetic analysis for biodosimetry, and more recently the advent of technological progression has led to advanced research in the use of genomic and proteomic expression profiling to simultaneously assess biomarkers of radiation exposure. We describe here the technical advantages of the Luminex(TM) 100 system relative to traditional methods and its potential as a tool to simultaneously profile multiple proteins induced by ionizing radiation. The development of such a bioassay would provide more relevant post-translational dynamics of stress response and will impart important implications in the advancement of space and other radiation contact monitoring. c2004 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NASA Center JSC↗

DNA fragmentation induced by Fe ions in human cells: shielding influence on spatially correlated damage

Outside the magnetic field of the Earth, high energy heavy ions constitute a relevant part of the biologically significant dose to astronauts during the very long travels through space. The typical pattern of energy deposition in the matter by heavy ions on the microscopic scale is believed to produce spatially correlated damage in the DNA which is critical for radiobiological effects. We have investigated the influence of a lucite shielding on the initial production of very small DNA fragments in human fibroblasts irradiated with 1 GeV/u iron (Fe) ions. We also used gamma rays as reference radiation. Our results show: (1) a lower effect per incident ion when the shielding is used; (2) an higher DNA Double Strand Breaks (DSB) induction by Fe ions than by gamma rays in the size range 1-23 kbp; (3) a non-random DNA DSB induction by Fe ions. c2004 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗

Implementation of ALARA radiation protection on the ISS through polyethylene shielding augmentation of the Service Module Crew Quarters

With 5-7 month long duration missions at 51.6 degrees inclination in Low Earth Orbit, the ionizing radiation levels to which International Space Station (ISS) crewmembers are exposed will be the highest planned occupational exposures in the world. Even with the expectation that regulatory dose limits will not be exceeded during a single tour of duty aboard the ISS, the "as low as reasonably achievable" (ALARA) precept requires that radiological risks be minimized when possible through a dose optimization process. Judicious placement of efficient shielding materials in locations where crewmembers sleep, rest, or work is an important means for implementing ALARA for spaceflight. Polyethylene (CnHn) is a relatively inexpensive, stable, and, with a low atomic number, an effective shielding material that has been certified for use aboard the ISS. Several designs for placement of slabs or walls of polyethylene have been evaluated for radiation exposure reduction in the Crew Quarters (CQ) of the Zvezda (Star) Service Module. Optimization of shield designs relies on accurate characterization of the expected primary and secondary particle environment and modeling of the predicted radiobiological responses of critical organs and tissues. Results of the studies shown herein indicate that 20% or more reduction in equivalent dose to the CQ occupant is achievable. These results suggest that shielding design and risk analysis are necessary measures for reducing long-term radiological risks to ISS inhabitants and for meeting legal ALARA requirements. Verification of shield concepts requires results from specific designs to be compared with onboard dosimetry. c2004 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NASA Center JSC↗