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At least 595 records · Page 33
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

Aircraft Ship Operations

The interest in the use of shipborne aircraft is widespread among NATO countries. Major weapons systems like aircraft carriers with conventional fixed-wing aircraft, VSTOL aircraft or helicopters embarked, are operated by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain. Nearly all NATO countries employ various classes of smaller ships as helicopter platforms for amphibious assault, anti-submarine warfare or search and rescue. The deployment of aircraft on board ships presents unusual and difficult technical and operational problems. Considering the multi-national interest in aircraft/ship operations it was considered meaningful and timely for the Flight Mechanics Panel to sponsor a symposium on this topic. This symposium considered problems of mutual interest connected with fixed and rotary wing aircraft operations from ships, and the application of new technology to enhance such operations. The Symposium reviewed and assessed the current problems and possible future progress in: - The ship environment in terms of wind, temperature, precipitation, turbulence and deck motion. - Guidance, Controls and Displays, primarily in the approach and landing phase. - Flight Test and Simulation Techniques. - Launch, Recovery and Handling Systems Developments. - Operational/Pilot Views. - Future Developments.

Aircraft carriers↗
NASA NTRS2004

Monitoring space shuttle air quality using the Jet Propulsion Laboratory electronic nose

A miniature electronic nose (ENose) has been designed and built at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, CA, and was designed to detect, identify, and quantify ten common contaminants and relative humidity changes. The sensing array includes 32 sensing films made from polymer carbon-black composites. Event identification and quantification were done using the Levenberg-Marquart nonlinear least squares method. After successful ground training, this ENose was used in a demonstration experiment aboard STS-95 (October-November, 1998), in which the ENose was operated continuously for six days and recorded the sensors' response to the air in the mid-deck. Air samples were collected daily and analyzed independently after the flight. Changes in shuttle-cabin humidity were detected and quantified by the JPL ENose; neither the ENose nor the air samples detected any of the contaminants on the target list. The device is microgravity insensitive.

manned↗
NASA NTRS2018

Computational and Experimental Study of Plume and Shock Interaction Effects on Sonic Boom in the NASA Ames 9x7 Supersonic Wind Tunnel

A wind tunnel test was performed in the NASA Ames 9x7 Supersonic Wind Tunnel focusing on the shock waves traveling through and interacting with an exhaust nozzle plume. This experimental study was conducted to develop and validate the CFD capability required to accurately include nozzle flow with impinging shock effects on near field and ground‐propagated sonic boom signatures. The model was made to be generic, and included a simple nozzle shape, two different aft decks, and a few generic horizontal tails. High pressure air was pumped through a nozzle at various nozzle pressure ratios (NPR) to represent the engine plume in flight. The three different aft body representations each created a different shock wave signature that passed through the plume. An aft deck configuration, where part of the aircraft shields the nozzle plume, was also tested. Retroreflective Background-Oriented Schlieren (RBOS) was used to obtain schlieren images of the flow field around the model and behind the model. This study compares wind tunnel data and numerical simulations conducted by the NASA Tetrahedral Unstructured Software System CFD code, USM3D.

Winski, Courtney S.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Utilization of the Spacehab module as a microgravity carrier

Spacehab Incorporated has proposed the use of its mid-deck augmentation module as a near term microgravity test bed. The orbital flight dynamics and payload accommodation capabilities of a Space Shuttle with the Spacehad module were investigated to assess this proposal. It was found that the module will provide a 1 microG (32.2 x 10(exp 6) ft/sq sec) quasi-steady state environment for limited periods of time when the shuttle is actively controlled. A passively stable attitude will provide a 4 microG environment for longer periods. Shuttle imposed constraints on the composite payload center of gravity, however, severely limit the possibilities for co-manifesting additional payloads. The analysis leading to those conclusions are detailed.

Sasamoto, Washito A.↗
NASA NTRS2015

AST Launch Vehicle Acoustics

The liftoff phase induces acoustic loading over a broad frequency range for a launch vehicle. These external acoustic environments are then used in the prediction of internal vibration responses of the vehicle and components which result in the qualification levels. Thus, predicting these liftoff acoustic (LOA) environments is critical to the design requirements of any launch vehicle. If there is a significant amount of uncertainty in the predictions or if acoustic mitigation options must be implemented, a subscale acoustic test is a feasible pre-launch test option to verify the LOA environments. The NASA Space Launch System (SLS) program initiated the Scale Model Acoustic Test (SMAT) to verify the predicted SLS LOA environments and to determine the acoustic reduction with an above deck water sound suppression system. The SMAT was conducted at Marshall Space Flight Center and the test article included a 5% scale SLS vehicle model, tower and Mobile Launcher. Acoustic and pressure data were measured by approximately 250 instruments. The SMAT liftoff acoustic results are presented, findings are discussed and a comparison is shown to the Ares I Scale Model Acoustic Test (ASMAT) results.

Houston, Janice↗
NASA NTRS2018

Thermal Assessment of OSIRIS-REx OVIRS Cryogenic Instrument During Flight System TVAC Test and in Flight

The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) Visible and Infrared Spectrometer (OVIRS) is a cryogenic instrument. At the Outbound Cruise nominal spacecraft attitude, sunlight impinges on several multilayer insulation blankets on the forward deck. It is reflected or scattered to other components on the deck. This solar illumination adds heat load to the OVIRS, and causes its detector temperature to exceed the 105K maximum operating allowable flight temperature limit by 0.8K. During the flight system thermal vacuum test, the solar simulator beam reflected or scattered from the test fixtures to the OVIRS added non-flight heat load. The detector temperature was 9K warmer than that in flight. At those temperatures, the science data was acceptable, despite its quality was not as high as that of 105K or colder.

"OSIRIS-REx; OVIRS; cryogenic instrument; parasiti↗
NASA NTRS1985

Monodisperse Latex Reactor (MLR): A materials processing space shuttle mid-deck payload

The monodisperse latex reactor experiment has flown five times on the space shuttle, with three more flights currently planned. The objectives of this project is to manufacture, in the microgravity environment of space, large particle-size monodisperse polystyrene latexes in particle sizes larger and more uniform than can be manufactured on Earth. Historically it has been extremely difficult, if not impossible to manufacture in quantity very high quality monodisperse latexes on Earth in particle sizes much above several micrometers in diameter due to buoyancy and sedimentation problems during the polymerization reaction. However the MLR project has succeeded in manufacturing in microgravity monodisperse latex particles as large as 30 micrometers in diameter with a standard deviation of 1.4 percent. It is expected that 100 micrometer particles will have been produced by the completion of the the three remaining flights. These tiny, highly uniform latex microspheres have become the first material to be commercially marketed that was manufactured in space.

Kornfeld, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Airborne Measurements of CO2 Column Concentration and Range Using a Pulsed Direct-Detection IPDA Lidar

We have previously demonstrated a pulsed direct detection IPDA lidar to measure range and the column concentration of atmospheric CO2. The lidar measures the atmospheric backscatter profiles and samples the shape of the 1,572.33 nm CO2 absorption line. We participated in the ASCENDS science flights on the NASA DC-8 aircraft during August 2011 and report here lidar measurements made on four flights over a variety of surface and cloud conditions near the US. These included over a stratus cloud deck over the Pacific Ocean, to a dry lake bed surrounded by mountains in Nevada, to a desert area with a coal-fired power plant, and from the Rocky Mountains to Iowa, with segments with both cumulus and cirrus clouds. Most flights were to altitudes >12 km and had 5-6 altitude steps. Analyses show the retrievals of lidar range, CO2 column absorption, and CO2 mixing ratio worked well when measuring over topography with rapidly changing height and reflectivity, through thin clouds, between cumulus clouds, and to stratus cloud tops. The retrievals shows the decrease in column CO2 due to growing vegetation when flying over Iowa cropland as well as a sudden increase in CO2 concentration near a coal-fired power plant. For regions where the CO2 concentration was relatively constant, the measured CO2 absorption lineshape (averaged for 50 s) matched the predicted shapes to better than 1% RMS error. For 10 s averaging, the scatter in the retrievals was typically 2-3 ppm and was limited by the received signal photon count. Retrievals were made using atmospheric parameters from both an atmospheric model and from in situ temperature and pressure from the aircraft. The retrievals had no free parameters and did not use empirical adjustments, and >70% of the measurements passed screening and were used in analysis. The differences between the lidar-measured retrievals and in situ measured average CO2 column concentrations were <1.4 ppm for flight measurement altitudes >6 km.

Lidar↗
NASA NTRS1999

DRACO Flowpath Performance and Environments

The Advanced Space Transportation (AST) project office has challenged NASA to design, manufacture, ground-test and flight-test an axisymmetric, hydrocarbon-fueled, flight-weight, ejector-ramjet engine system testbed no later than 2005. To accomplish this, a multi-center NASA team has been assembled. The goal of this team, led by NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), is to develop propulsion technologies that demonstrate rocket and airbreathing combined-cycle operation (DRACO). Current technical activities include flowpath conceptual design, engine systems conceptual design, and feasibility studies investigating the integration and operation of the DRACO engine with a Lockheed D-21B drone. This paper focuses on the activities of the Flowpath Systems Product Development Team (PDT), led by NASA-Glenn Research Center (GRC) and supported by NASA-MSFC and TechLand Research, Inc. The objective of the Flowpath PDT at the start of the DRACO program was to establish a conceptual design of the flowpath aerodynamic lines, determine the preliminary performance, define the internal environments, and support the DRACO testbed concept feasibility studies. To accomplish these tasks, the PDT convened to establish a baseline flowpath concept. With the conceptual lines defined, cycle analysis tasks were planned and the flowpath performance and internal environments were defined. Additionally, sensitivity studies investigating the effects of inlet reference area, combustion performance, and combustor/nozzle materials selection were performed to support the Flowpath PDT design process. Results of these tasks are the emphasis of this paper and are intended to verify the feasibility of the DRACO flowpath and engine system as well as identify the primary technical challenges inherent in the flight-weight design of an advanced propulsion technology demonstration engine. Preliminary cycle performance decks were developed to support the testbed concept feasibility studies but are not discussed further in this paper.

Komar, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Airborne lidar and radiometric observations of PBL- and low clouds

Boundary layer- and low altitude clouds over open ocean and continent areas have been studied during several field campaigns since mid-1990 using the French airborne backscatter lidar LEANDRE in conjunction with on-board IR and visible radiometers. LEANDRE is an automatic system, and a modification of the instrumental parameters, when airborne, is computer controlled through an operator keyboard. The vertical range squared lidar signals and instrument status are displayed in real time on two dedicated monitors. The lidar is used either down- or up-looking while the aircraft is flying above or below clouds. A switching of the viewing configuration takes about a minute. The lidar measurements provide a high resolution description of cloud morphology and holes in cloud layers. The flights were conducted during various meteorological conditions on single or multilayer stratocumulus and cumulus decks. Analysis on a single shot basis of cloud top (or bottom) altitude and a plot of the corresponding histogram allows one to determine a probability density function (PDF). The preliminary results show the PDFs for cloud top are not Gaussian and symmetric about the mean value. The skewness varies with atmospheric conditions. An example of results recorded over the Atlantic ocean near Biarritz is displayed, showing: (1) the range squared lidar signals as a function of time (here 100 s corresponds to about 8 km, 60 shots are averaged on horizontal); the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) - up to 600 m - is observed at the beginning of the leg as well as on surface returns, giving an indication of the porosity; (2) the cloud top altitude variation between 2.4 to 2.8 km during the 150 to 320 s section; and (3) the corresponding PDF. Similar results are obtained on stratocumulus over land. Single shot measurements can be used also to determine an optical porosity at a small scale as well as a fractional cloudiness at a larger scale. A comparison of cloud top altitude retrieved from lidar and narrowbeam IR radiometer is conducted to study the scale integration problem. A good agreement within less than 100 m relies on spatial uniformity and an optically thick layer. In the presence of holes, a discrepancy is observed. This is illustrated in figure 2, displaying as a function of time (1) the lidar signals; (2) the target temperature (either clouds or sea surface) retreived from a narrowbeam IR radiometer, 17 C is the sea surface temperature on that day; and (3) the visible flux, linked to cloud albedo, measured by a pyranometer. In preparation of ASTEX, down- and up-looking measurements where conducted on stratocumulus clouds over the Atlantic Ocean near Quimper in Brittany. Depending on the flight pattern orientation with respect to the wind, the top and bottom cloud morphologies are different. Preliminary results are given on cloud morphology, cloud top PDFs, optical porosity, fractional cloudiness, and comparison of lidar and radiometric measurements.

Flamant, P. H.↗
NASA NTRS2010

NDARC - NASA Design and Analysis of Rotorcraft Validation and Demonstration

Validation and demonstration results from the development of the conceptual design tool NDARC (NASA Design and Analysis of Rotorcraft) are presented. The principal tasks of NDARC are to design a rotorcraft to satisfy specified design conditions and missions, and then analyze the performance of the aircraft for a set of off-design missions and point operating conditions. The aircraft chosen as NDARC development test cases are the UH-60A single main-rotor and tail-rotor helicopter, the CH-47D tandem helicopter, the XH-59A coaxial lift-offset helicopter, and the XV-15 tiltrotor. These aircraft were selected because flight performance data, a weight statement, detailed geometry information, and a correlated comprehensive analysis model are available for each. Validation consists of developing the NDARC models for these aircraft by using geometry and weight information, airframe wind tunnel test data, engine decks, rotor performance tests, and comprehensive analysis results; and then comparing the NDARC results for aircraft and component performance with flight test data. Based on the calibrated models, the capability of the code to size rotorcraft is explored.

Johnson, Wayne↗
NASA NTRS2000

Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System (MAMS) Flight Configuration Verification and Status

The Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System (MAMS) is a precision spaceflight instrument designed to measure and characterize the microgravity environment existing in the US Lab Module of the International Space Station. Both vibratory and quasi-steady triaxial acceleration data are acquired and provided to an Ethernet data link. The MAMS Double Mid-Deck Locker (DMDL) EXPRESS Rack payload meets all the ISS IDD and ICD interface requirements as discussed in the paper which also presents flight configuration illustrations. The overall MAMS sensor and data acquisition performance and verification data are presented in addition to a discussion of the Command and Data Handling features implemented via the ISS, downlink and the GRC Telescience Center displays.

Wagar, William↗
NASA NTRS2011

Overview of the Ares I Scale Model Acoustic Test Program

Launch environments, such as lift-off acoustic (LOA) and ignition overpressure (IOP), are important design factors for any vehicle and are dependent upon the design of both the vehicle and the ground systems. LOA environments are used directly in the development of vehicle vibro-acoustic environments and IOP is used in the loads assessment. The NASA Constellation Program had several risks to the development of the Ares I vehicle linked to LOA. The risks included cost, schedule and technical impacts for component qualification due to high predicted vibro-acoustic environments. One solution is to mitigate the environment at the component level. However, where the environment is too severe for component survivability, reduction of the environment itself is required. The Ares I Scale Model Acoustic Test (ASMAT) program was implemented to verify the Ares I LOA and IOP environments for the vehicle and ground systems including the Mobile Launcher (ML) and tower. An additional objective was to determine the acoustic reduction for the LOA environment with an above deck water sound suppression system. ASMAT was a development test performed at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) East Test Area (ETA) Test Stand 116 (TS 116). The ASMAT program is described in this presentation.

Counter, Douglas D.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Cart3D Analysis of Plume and Shock Interaction Effects on Sonic Boom

A plume and shock interaction study was developed to collect data and perform CFD on a configuration where a nozzle plume passed through the shock generated from the wing or tail of a supersonic vehicle. The wing or tail was simulated with a wedge-shaped shock generator. Three configurations were analyzed consisting of two strut mounted wedges and one propulsion pod with an aft deck from a low boom vehicle concept. Research efforts at NASA were intended to enable future supersonic flight over land in the United States. Two of these efforts provided data for regulatory change and enabled design of low boom aircraft. Research has determined that sonic boom is a function of aircraft lift and volume distribution. Through careful tailoring of these variables, the sonic boom of concept vehicles has been reduced. One aspect of vehicle tailoring involved how the aircraft engine exhaust interacted with aft surfaces on a supersonic aircraft, such as the tail and wing trailing edges. In this work, results from Euler CFD simulations are compared to experimental data collected on sub-scale components in a wind tunnel. Three configurations are studied to simulate the nozzle plume interaction with representative wing and tail surfaces. Results demonstrate how the plume and tail shock structure moves with increasing nozzle pressure ratio. The CFD captures the main features of the plume and shock interaction. Differences are observed in the plume and deck shock structure that warrant further research and investigation.

supersonic wind tunnels↗
NASA NTRS1980

An investigation of automatic guidance concepts to steer a VTOL aircraft to a small aviation facility ship

A detailed system model of a VTOL aircraft approaching a small aviation facility ship was developed and used to investigate several approach guidance concepts. A preliminary anaysis of the aircraft-vessel landing guidance requirements was conducted. The various subelements and constraints of the flight system are described including the landing scenario, lift fan aircraft, state rate feedback flight control, MLS-based navigation, sea state induced ship motion, and wake turbulence due to wind-over-deck effects. These elements are integrated into a systems model with various guidance concepts. Guidance is described in terms of lateral, vertical, and longitudinal axes steering modes and approach and landing phases divided by a nominal hover (or stationkeeping) point defined with respect to the landing pad. The approach guidance methods are evaluated, and the two better steering concepts are studied by both single pass and Monte Carlo statistical simulation runs. Four different guidance concepts are defined for further analysis for the landing phase of flight.

Sorensen, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Follow on Validation of Force-Limited Vibration Testing

A second sounding rocket experiment was performed in the summer of 1998 in a continuing effort to validate the force limits techniques used in random vibration tests. The accuracy of the force limiting prediction techniques has not clearly been sufficiently confirmed with in-flight data as of this time. The flight was on board one of the BlackBrant series of sounding rockets. This vehicle is the one most commonly used for suborbital scientific payloads by NASA. An aluminum double deck structure simulating a dynamic source and load was flown. The hardware was instrumented with accelerometers and force sensors that measured input acceleration, forces and acceleration responses on the load. Force limiting analysis methods are compared with the flight measurements in order to evaluate analysis predictions methods and test procedures. This sounding rocket flight is the second in a series of flights that will be performed.

Kaufman, Daniel S.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Where is Tropopause?

Much of the earth science that is being proposed for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) Upper-Deck Research Facility (SURF) deals with issues related to the tropopause, which will be near SOFIA'S flight level at mid-latitudes. Interpreting in situ or remote aerosol, hydrometeor, and trace gas measurements will require accurate knowledge of the tropopause location. Examples of such measurements are presented, and a brief discussion is given on the Microwave Temperature Profiler (MTP), which the earth science community has used in the past to determine the tropopause height.

in situ↗
NASA NTRS2017

Thermal Assessment of Sunlight Impinging on OSIRIS-REx OCAMS PolyCam, OTES, and IMU-Sunshade MLI Blankets in Flight

The NASA Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft was successfully launched into orbit on September 8, 2016. It is traveling to a near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu, study it in detail, and bring back a pristine sample to Earth for scientific analyses. At the Outbound Cruise nominal spacecraft attitude, with Sun on +X, sunlight impinges on the OSIRIS-REx camera suite (OCAMS) PolyCam sunshade multilayer insulation (MLI) with microporous black polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a portion of the PolyCam optics support tube (MLI with germanium black Kapton (GBK)), a portion of the OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer (OTES) sunshade (MLI with GBK), the Inertia Measurement Unit (IMU) sunshade (MLI with GBK), and the OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter (OLA) sunshade (MLI with GBK). Sunlight is reflected or scattered by the above MLIs to the other components on the forward (+Z) deck. It illuminates the forward deck. A detailed thermal assessment on the solar impingement has been performed for the Proximity Ops at the asteroid, Touch-and-Go (TAG) sample acquisition, and Return Cruise mission phases.The OSIRIS-REx Outbound Cruise flight temperature telemetry and USM_3_DPC_0_CURRENT flight currenttelemetry data have been analyzed. It is evident that at the nominal Outbound Cruise spacecraft Sun-pointing attitude(i.e., Sun on +X), sunlight impinging on the PolyCam, OTES, IMU-sunshade and OLA-sunshade MLIs is reflected orscattered to the forward deck and components on the forward deck. It illuminates the forward deck. The StowCam imageof Day 265 2016 also provided an evidence. The reflected or scattered sunlight cause warming to the forward deck andcomponents on its +Z side. It may also contribute to degradation of thermal coatings over the mission life. It is a factorthat the OVIRS detector operating temperature exceeds the 105K maximum AFT limit. The OVIRS PrincipalInvestigator indicated that it is not optimum but acceptable for science. With exception of the OVIRS detector, thecorrelated flight system thermal model predictions for the components on the forward deck have adequate margins in theProximity Ops, TAG and Return Cruise phases. The margins are expected to cover the warming caused by the solarimpingement and the contribution to degradation of thermal coatings. The solar impingement is not expected to be athermal risk to the OSIRIS-REx mission. The second SRC Optical Properties characterization will be repeated in theReturn Cruise to provide a good characterization of any changes in optical properties that might have occurred duringthe TAG, or during several years in space. If the SRC battery runs much warmer than that of the first characterization inthe Outbound Cruise, it will be necessary to make some changes to the SRC Release timeline to assure the SRC batterytemperature are within limits. If GBK, instead of microporous black PTFE, were used on the PolyCam sunshade MLI,much more sunlight would have been reflected or scattered to the forward deck and components on its +Z side.Microporous black PTFE should be considered to mitigate the optical and thermal issues of sunlight reflected/scatteredby MLI blankets in future missions.

Choi, Michael K.↗