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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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NASA NTRS2019

Automated Fiber Placement Manufactured Composites for Science Applications

Science instruments with large collecting areas that maintain dimensional stability, such as James Webb Space Telescope and Wide Field Space Telescope, help achieve next generation science advancements. Composite materials often used for science applications include high modulus fibers in cyanate ester matrices to result in dimensionally stable structures with low contamination. Hand lay-up fabrication is the most common approach for science instrument structures. Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) using intermediate modulus fibers is commonplace in aircraft production reducing manufacturing time and increasing quality and consistency. AFP manufacturing for future large science instruments can similarly reduce costs and increase reliability. However, high modulus fibers are more prone to damage than intermediate modulus fibers. This study investigates the manufacturing viability of M55J/RS3C (Tencate) slit tape material using AFP processing. Tencate provides slit tape materials. NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) manufactured hand layup and AFP lay-up laminates under room temperature for initial trials, Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) manufactured AFP laminates under room temperature and elevated temperature conditions to evaluate processing affects. Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) tests and evaluates tension and Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) properties by hand lay-up and AFP slit tape automated manufacturing for large science applications. These results show processing material warm reduces process induced fiber fracture; leading to stiffness and CTE properties consistent with hand lay-up, while observing a slight degradation in tensile strength.

Segal, Kenneth N.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Collisionless relaxation in spiral galaxy models

The increase in random kinetic energy of stars by rapidly fluctuating gravitational fields (collisionless or violent relaxation) in disk galaxy models is investigated for three interaction potentials of the stars corresponding to (1) point stars, (2) rod stars of length 2 kpc, and (3) uniform density spherical stars of radius 2 kpc. To stabilize the galaxy against the large scale bar forming instability, a fixed field corresponding to a central core or halo component of stars was added with the stars containing at most 20 percent of the total mass of the galaxy. Considerable heating occurred for both the point stars and the rod stars, whereas the use of spherical stars resulted in a very low heating rate. The use of spherical stars with the resulting low heating rate will be desirable for the study of large scale galactic stability or density wave propagation, since collective heating effects will no longer mask the phenomena under study.

Hohl, F.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Reflective optical system for a hemispherical field radiometer

The Radiation Measurement System (RAMS) is a project at NASA Ames Research Center to develop infrared radiometers for use in studying radiative transfer within the earth's atmosphere. These radiometers will use a liquid nitrogen cooled reference source and thermal stabilization of the optics. One of the radiometer designs calls for a hemispherical field of view, which has stimulated development of a new optical system. The system developed uses Winston cones, some of them in the reverse of the usual direction. This optical system has been optimized for the RAMS project needs and simulated on a computer for verification.

Davis, Paul K.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Characteristics and capacities of the NASA Lewis Research Center high precision 6.7- by 6.7-m planar near-field scanner

A very precise 6.7- by 6.7-m planar near-field scanner has recently become operational at the NASA Lewis Research Center. The scanner acquires amplitude and phase data at discrete points over a vertical rectangular grid. During the design phase for this scanner, special emphasis was given to the dimensional stability of the structures and the ease of adjustment of the rails that determine the accuracy of the scan plane. A laser measurement system is used for rail alignment and probe positioning. This has resulted in very repeatable horizontal and vertical motion of the probe cart and hence precise positioning in the plane described by the probe tip. The resulting accuracy will support near-field measurements at 60 GHz without corrections. Subsystem design including laser, electronic and mechanical and their performance is described. Summary data are presented on the scan plane flatness and environmental temperature stability. Representative near-field data and calculated far-field test results are presented. Prospective scanner improvements to increase test capability are also discussed.

Sharp, G. R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Difference equation technique for determining the evolution of radially symmetric ultrasonic fields

A simplified difference equation technique has been developed to calculate the three-dimensional evolution of radially symmetric, complex ultrasonic fields. The parabolic approximation to the Helmholtz equation is obtained by assuming that localized changes in the magnitude of the field with respect to distance along the axis of propagation are small compared to those with respect to radial displacement. The Helmholtz equation in cylindrical coordinates may then be approximated, after separating variables, using truncated series expansions. The resulting difference equation determines complex field values at discrete locations in a plane using corresponding adjacent locations in the preceding plane. Stability criteria which determine acceptable values for various parameters are discussed. The technique has been applied to the propagation of ultrasonic fields generated by two-dimensional focusing and non-focusing, uniform and Gaussian profile, piezoelectric transducers in both profiled and non-profiled media.

Dockery, G. D.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Accretion magnetosphere stability. II - Polar cap 'drip'

The entry of plasma past the shielding magnetic field of a collapsed object is examined. It is concluded that a plausible entry mode is simply a 'dripping' motion of the polar caps of the magnetopause, owing to radiation of the hot compressed plasma there. The plasma 'drips' would hit the object's surface either near the magnetic poles or in a ring-shaped 'auroral' zone around the poles. Insofar as this entry mode is concerned, no special role is played by finite plasma resistivity since the plasma can reach the stellar object even if the conductivity is infinite.

Michel, F. C.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Electrostatic ion (hydrogen) cyclotron and ion acoustic wave instabilities in regions of upward field-aligned current and upward ion beams

An investigation is made into the stability of electrostatic hydrogen ion cyclotron and ion acoustic waves in a model plasma where an ion beam, population 2, and oppositely directed drifting electrons pass through a stationary ion background, population 1. The excited wave properties are then compared with the characteristics of the unstable modes observed on the S3-3 satellite. Three temperature regimes are studied: (1) Te greater than Ti2 much greater than Ti1, (2) Ti2 greater than Te not less than Ti1, and (3) Te approximately equal to Ti1 greater than Ti2. It is found that the ion beam acts as a free energy source only in regime 1. This regime is also highly unstable to the electrons as a free energy source. Unstable modes in regimes 2 and 3 seem to best satisfy the electrostatic hydrogen cyclotron wave (EHC) properties at 1 earth radius. For these cases the electrons are the free energy source, the beam supplies damping.

Bergmann, R.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Flow Range of Centrifugal Compressor Being Extended

General Aviation will benefit from turbine engines that are both fuel-efficient and reliable. Current engines fall short of their potential to achieve these attributes. The reason is compressor surge, which is a flow stability problem that develops when the compressor is subjected to conditions that are outside of its operating range. Compressor surge can occur when fuel flow to the engine is increased, temporarily back pressuring the compressor and pushing it past its stability limit, or when the compressor is subjected to inlet flow-field distortions that may occur during takeoff and landing. Compressor surge can result in the loss of an aircraft. As a result, engine designers include a margin of safety between the operating line of the engine and the stability limit line of the compressor. Unfortunately, the most efficient operating line for the compressor is usually closer to its stability limit line than it is to the line that provides an adequate margin of safety. A wider stable flow range will permit operation along the most efficient operating line of the compressor, improving the specific fuel consumption of the engine and reducing emissions. The NASA Glenn Research Center is working to extend the stable flow range of the compressor. Significant extension has been achieved in axial compressors by injecting air upstream of the compressor blade rows. Recently, the technique was successfully applied to a 4:1 pressure ratio centrifugal compressor by injecting streams of air into the diffuser. Both steady and controlled unsteady injection were used to inject air through the diffuser shroud surface and extend the range. Future work will evaluate the effect of air injection through the diffuser hub surface and diffuser vanes with the goal of maximizing the range extension while minimizing the amount of injected air that is required.

Skoch, Gary J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

The effect of small streamwise velocity distortion on the boundary layer flow over a thin flat plate with application to boundary layer stability theory

Researchers show how an initially linear spanwise disturbance in the free stream velocity field is amplified by leading edge bluntness effects and ultimately leads to a small amplitude but linear spanwise motion far downstream from the edge. This spanwise motion is imposed on the boundary layer flow and ultimately causes an order-one change in its profile shape. The modified profiles are highly unstable and can support Tollmein-Schlichting wave growth well upstream of the theoretical lower branch of the neutral stability curve for a Blasius boundary layer.

Goldstein, M. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Numerical stability of an explicit finite difference scheme for the solution of transient conduction in composite media

A theoretical evaluation of the stability of an explicit finite difference solution of the transient temperature field in a composite medium is presented. The grid points of the field are assumed uniformly spaced, and media interfaces are either vertical or horizontal and pass through grid points. In addition, perfect contact between different media (infinite interfacial conductance) is assumed. A finite difference form of the conduction equation is not valid at media interfaces; therefore, heat balance forms are derived. These equations were subjected to stability analysis, and a computer graphics code was developed that permitted determination of a maximum time step for a given grid spacing.

Campbell, W.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Effects of space shuttle launches STS-1 through STS-9 on terrestrial vegetation of John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Space Shuttle launches produce a cloud containing hydrochloric acid (HCl), aluminum oxide (Al203), and other substances. Acidities of less than 0.5 pH have been measured routinely in association with the launch cloud. In an area of about 22 ha regularly exposed to the exhaust cloud during most Shuttle launches, acute vegetation damage has resulted from the first nine Shuttle launches. Changes include loss of sensitive species, loss of plant community structure, reduction in total cover, and replacement of some species by weedy invaders. Community level changes define a retrogressive sequence. One-time impacts to strand and dune vegetation occurred after launches of STS-8 and STS-9. Acute vegetation damage occurred especially to sensitive species. Within six months, however, recovery was nearly complete. Sensitivity of species to the launch cloud was partially predicted by previous laboratory studies. Far-field acidic and dry fallout from the cloud as it rises to stabilization and moves with the prevailing winds causes vegetation spotting. Damage from this deposition is minor; typically at most 1% to 5% of leaf surface area is affected. No plant mortality or community changes have occurred from far-field deposition.

Schmalzer, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Emerging Techniques for Vicarious Calibration of Visible Through Short Wave Infrared Remote Sensing Systems

Simple field-portable white light LED calibration source shows promise for visible range (420-750 nm) 1) Prototype demonstrated <0.5% drift over 10-40 C temperature range; 2) Additional complexity (more LEDs) will be necessary for extending spectral range into the NIR and SWIR; 3) LED long lifetimes should produce at least several hundreds of hours or more stability, minimizing need for expensive calibrations and supporting long-duration field campaigns; and 4) Enabling technology for developing autonomous sites.

Ryan, Robert E.↗
NASA NTRS2011

NEAT: A Microarcsec Astrometric Telescope

NEAT, Nearby Exo-Earth Astrometric Telescope is a medium-small telescope ~ 1m in diameter that is designed to make ultra precise < 1 uas (microarcsec) astrometric measurements of nearby stars in a ~ 1hr observation. Four major error sources prevent normal space telescopes from obtaining accuracies close to 1 uas. Even with a small 1m telescope, photon noise is usually not a problem for the bright nearby target stars. But in general, the reference stars are much fainter. Typically a field of view of ~0.5 deg dia is needed to obtain enough bright reference stars. The NEAT concept uses a very simple but unusual design to avoid optically induced astrometric errors. The third source of error is the accuracy and stability of the focal plane. A 1uas error over a ~2000 arcsec field of view implies the focal plane is accurate or at least stable to 5 parts in 1010 over the lifetime of the mission (~5yrs). The 4th class of error has to do with our knowledge of the PSF and how that PSF is sampled by an imperfect detector. A Nyquist sampled focal plane would have > 2 pixels per ?/D, and centroiding to 1uas means centroiding to 10-5 pixels. This paper describes the mission concept, and an overview of the technology needed to perform 1uas astrometry with a small telescope, and how we overcome problems 1 and 2. A companion paper will describe the technical progress we've made in solving problems 3 and 4.

interferometry↗
NASA NTRS1982

Direct observation of interface instability during crystal growth

The general aim of this investigation was to study interface stability and solute segregation phenomena during crystallization of a model system. Emphasis was to be placed on direct observational studies partly because this offered the possibility at a later stage of performing related experiments under substantially convection-free conditions in the space shuttle. The major achievements described in this report are: (1) the development of a new model system for fundamental studies of crystal growth from the melt and the measurement of a range of material parameters necessary for comparison of experiment with theory. (2) The introduction of a new method of measuring segregation coefficient using absorption of a laser beam by the liquid phase. (3) The comparison of segregation in crystals grown by gradient freezing and by pulling from the melt. (4) The introduction into the theory of solute segregation of an interface field term and comparison with experiment. (5) The introduction of the interface field term into the theories of constitutional supercooling and morphological stability and assessment of its importance.

Tiller, W. A.↗
NASA NTRS1960

Centrifuge Study of Pilot Tolerance to Acceleration and the Effects of Acceleration on Pilot Performance

A research program the general objective of which was to measure the effects of various sustained accelerations on the control performance of pilots, was carried out on the Aviation Medical Acceleration Laboratory centrifuge, U.S. Naval Air Development Center, Johnsville, PA. The experimental setup consisted of a flight simulator with the centrifuge in the control loop. The pilot performed his control tasks while being subjected to acceleration fields such as might be encountered by a forward-facing pilot flying an atmosphere entry vehicle. The study was divided into three phases. In one phase of the program, the pilots were subjected to a variety of sustained linear acceleration forces while controlling vehicles with several different sets of longitudinal dynamics. Here, a randomly moving target was displayed to the pilot on a cathode-ray tube. For each combination of acceleration field and vehicle dynamics, pilot tracking accuracy was measured and pilot opinion of the stability and control characteristics was recorded. Thus, information was obtained on the combined effects of complexity of control task and magnitude and direction of acceleration forces on pilot performance. These tests showed that the pilot's tracking performance deteriorated markedly at accelerations greater than about 4g when controlling a lightly damped vehicle. The tentative conclusion was also reached that regardless of the airframe dynamics involved, the pilot feels that in order to have the same level of control over the vehicle, an increase in the vehicle dynamic stability was required with increases in the magnitudes of the acceleration impressed upon the pilot. In another phase, boundaries of human tolerance of acceleration were established for acceleration fields such as might be encountered by a pilot flying an orbital vehicle. A special pilot restraint system was developed to increase human tolerance to longitudinal decelerations. The results of the tests showed that human tolerance of longitudinal deceleration forces was considerably improved through use of the special restraint system.

Creer, Brent Y.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Stability and Control Analysis of the F-15B Quiet SpikeTM Aircraft

The primary purpose of the Quiet Spike(TradeMark) flight research program was to analyze the aerodynamic, structural, and mechanical proof-of-concept of a large multi-stage telescoping nose spike installed on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Dryden Flight Research Center (Edwards, California) F-15B airplane. This report describes the preflight stability and control analysis performed to assess the effect of the spike on the stability, controllability, and handling qualities of the airplane; and to develop an envelope expansion approach to maintain safety of flight. The overall flight test objective was to collect flight data to validate the spike structural dynamics and loads model up to Mach 1.8. Other objectives included validating the mechanical feasibility of a morphing fuselage at operational conditions and determining the near-field shock wave characterization. The two main issues relevant to the stability and control objectives were the effects of the spike-influenced aerodynamics on the F-15B airplane flight dynamics, and the air data and angle-of-attack sensors. The analysis covered the sensitivity of the stability margins, and the handling qualities due to aerodynamic variation and the maneuvering limitations of the F-15B Quiet Spike configuration. The results of the analysis and the implications for the flight test program are also presented.

McWherter, Shaun C.↗