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At least 649 records · Page 36
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1990

Long-term monitoring of the earth's radiation budget; Proceedings of the Meeting, Orlando, FL, Apr. 17, 18, 1990

The uses of the broadband flux measurements as well as the improvements in the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment in instrumentation and data reduction are summarized. Scientific uses of earth-radiation budget data are discussed, along with a perspective on the instrumentation giving a new foundation for studies of the radiation budget, with emphasis on calibration and long-term stability. Cloud identification and angular modeling are covered including angular dependence models for radiance to flux conversion and the pattern recognition of clouds and ice in polar regions. The surface-radiation budget and atmospheric radiative flux divergence from the Clouds and Earth Radiant Energy System are covered, and time dependence of the earth's radiation fields, determination of the outgoing longwave radiation and its diurnal variations are considered.

Barkstrom, Bruce R.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Reflective overcoats for radiation control surfaces

Theoretical models are developed to predict the surface properties of a coating layer composed of particles of a known size distribution, applied to an opaque substrate, such as a metal or reaction cured glass (RCG). The surface temperature attained at radiative equilibrium by an overcoated surface subject to a given heat flux is calculated. The incident radiation was assumed to exhibit the spectral distribution characteristic of a black body at different temperatures or equivalently, having different peak wavelengths, with the energy level scaled to give a range of desired surface radiative heat fluxes. This approach allows a straightforward comparison of the thernal response of a surface to incident radiation having the energy predominantly in a characteristic wavelength band and a well-defined spectral distribution. The ratio of the radiative heat flux to the total heat flux was varied, and the different geometric and material parameters of such overcoat layers were explored. The model was applied to representative surface heating rates to the Aeroasssisted Flight Experiment (AFE) and to Aeroassisted Space Transfer Vehicles (ASTVs). The predicted radiative energy flux to the surface of the AFE vehicle gives a single-point comparison of the surface temperatures attained with and without a selective-reflector overcoat on the vehicle surface. The specific objective of this work is to identify the most desirable radiative properties of an overcoat/substrate system for this environment.

White, Susan M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The effect of surface radiation on flame spread in a quiescent, microgravity environment

In most theories of laminar flame spread over solid combustibles, radiation is neglected. However, when gas motion is completely absent, which may occur in the quiescent, microgravity environment of a spacecraft, the importance of radiation compared to convection is enhanced. Here, a theoretical model is developed of flame spread over a thin solid fuel into an opposing flow of oxidizer, the opposing flow being present in the quiescent environment in flame-fixed coordinates, including the effects of radiative heat transfer from the fuel surface. Numerical solutions to the conservation equations in the gas and the solid phase that describe the spreading flame are presented for a variety of ambient conditions and surface emittances. When surface radiation is significant, the solid surface acts as a heat sink, causing the flame to cool, shrink in size, and spread more slowly. Better agreement with experiment for net heat transfer to the surface is obtained when surface radiation is included. For low ambient oxygen levels, radiative effects lead to flame extinction. A radiation/conduction parameter is identified that adequately describes the importance of surface radiation.

Bhattacharjee, S.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Calculations of atmospheric radiative flux profiles

Results are presented of experiments with a diagnostic approach to the radiation budget by using all available data sets to describe the properties of the atmosphere, clouds, and surface at each time and place, together with a radiative transfer model that calculates the radiative fluxes using this information. Each parameter in the calculations is represented explicitly, so that improved data sets can be easily substituted. The model and data are combined to calculate profiles of radiative fluxes, including individual flux components, heating/cooling rates, as well as top-of-atmosphere and surface radiation budget components. The advantage of this explicit approach is that all contributions to the radiation budget can be diagnosed separately; in particular, cloud-radiative feedbacks can be isolated from the effects of other atmospheric and surface changes.

Rossow, William B.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Computer aided radiation analysis for manned spacecraft

In order to assist in the design of radiation shielding an analytical tool is presented that can be employed in combination with CAD facilities and NASA transport codes. The nature of radiation in space is described, and the operational requirements for protection are listed as background information for the use of the technique. The method is based on the Boeing radiation exposure model (BREM) for combining NASA radiation transport codes and CAD facilities, and the output is given as contour maps of the radiation-shield distribution so that dangerous areas can be identified. Computational models are used to solve the 1D Boltzmann transport equation and determine the shielding needs for the worst-case scenario. BREM can be employed directly with the radiation computations to assess radiation protection during all phases of design which saves time and ultimately spacecraft weight.

Appleby, Matthew H.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Decoupled predictions of radiative heating in air using a particle simulation method

A particle simulation technique with decoupled radiation is used to estimate the radiative emission along the stagnation streamline and the radiative heating at the stagnation point of a blunt-nosed vehicle entering the earth's atmosphere at hypersonic speed. The direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is used to compute the fluid mechanics of the weakly ionized flow. The radiative emission is computed using the NEQAIR computer code with the radiation decoupled from the flowfield solution. It is concluded that the new models make it possible to decrease the predicted total radiative heating at the stagnation point of the vehicle by a factor of 15. A comparison of the DSMC approach with a continuum flow model shows that the total predicted radiative heating estimates agree within a factor of 2.

Boyd, Iain D.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Radiation-pressure-supported obscuring tori around active galactic nuclei

Radiation pressure acting on dust grains can support the vertical thickness of the obscuring tori believed to exist in active galactic nuclei. Using the results of 2D radiation transfer calculations, we evaluate the radiation force acting on these tori. We find that on the inner edge of the torus the radiation force is about 350 l(E) times the gravitational force of the nucleus, where l(E) is the Eddington ratio. Beyond a few torus heights from the inner edge, the radiation force is negligible with respect to gravity. However, between these two extremes lies a region of considerable size where the ratio of radiation force to gravity is nearly constant and can be of order unity for l(E) about 0.1. If the distribution of material within the torus is sufficiently lumpy, there is a significant time-varying component to the radiation force. This drives the random motions of the constituent clouds, thickening the torus at lower values of l(E).

Pier, Edward A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The impact of clouds on the shortwave radiation budget of the surface-atmosphere system - Interfacing measurements and models

Two datasets have been combined to demonstrate how the availability of more comprehensive datasets could serve to elucidate the shortwave radiative impact of clouds on both the atmospheric column and the surface. These datasets consist of two measurements of net downward shortwave radiation: one of near-surface measurements made at the Boulder Atmospheric Observatory tower, and the other of collocated top-of-the-atmosphere measurements from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment. Output from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts General Circulation Model also has been used as an aid in interpreting the data, while the data have in turn been employed to validate the model's shortwave radiation code as it pertains to cloud radiation properties. Combined, the datasets and model demonstrate a strategy for determining under what conditions the shortwave radiative impact of clouds leads to a heating or cooling of the atmospheric column. The datasets also show, in terms of a linear slope-offset algorithm for retrieving the net downward shortwave radiation at the surface from satellite measurements, that the clouds present during this study produced a modest negative bias in the retrieved surface flux relative to that inferred from a clear-sky algorithm.

Cess, Robert D.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Estimating net solar radiation using Landsat Thematic Mapper and digital elevation data

A radiative transfer algorithm is combined with digital elevation and satellite reflectance data to model spatial variability in net solar radiation at fine spatial resolution. The method is applied to the tall-grass prairie of the 16 x 16 sq km FIFE site (First ISLSCP Field Experiment) of the International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project. Spectral reflectances as measured by the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) are corrected for atmospheric and topographic effects using field measurements and accurate 30-m digital elevation data in a detailed model of atmosphere-surface interaction. The spectral reflectances are then integrated to produce estimates of surface albedo in the range 0.3-3.0 microns. This map of albedo is used in an atmospheric and topographic radiative transfer model to produce a map of net solar radiation. A map of apparent net solar radiation is also derived using only the TM reflectance data, uncorrected for topography, and the average field-measured downwelling solar irradiance. Comparison with field measurements at 10 sites on the prairie shows that the topographically derived radiation map accurately captures the spatial variability in net solar radiation, but the apparent map does not.

Dubayah, R.↗
NASA NTRS1923

Experiments with a built-in or fuselage radiator

The experiments discussed here were performed to determine whether radiators having similar cooling properties offer less resistance when incorporated into the fuselage, than when the hitherto customary arrangement is employed, with the radiator in the free air current more or less independent of the fuselage. The experiments indicated that the quantity of air flowing through the radiator is greatest when the fuselage and the radiator are separate. However, separate radiators cause more air resistance. When the radiator is incorporated into the fuselage, it is only possible to obtain a quantity equal to that which flows through the radiator in the free air current if the lateral outlet vents are widened or the quantity of air in increased by some special means, such as fans. Whether it is possible, in practice, to obtain the necessary cooling effect in this way, together with reduced resistance of the fuselage, is not decided here, since it is a question of construction.

Wiesselsberger, C↗
NASA NTRS1920

Head Resistance Due to Radiators

Part 1 deals with the head resistance of a number of common types of radiator cores at different speeds in free air, as measured in the wind tunnel at the bureau of standards. This work was undertaken to determine the characteristics of various types of radiator cores, and in particular to develop the best type of radiator for airplanes. Some 25 specimens of core were tested, including practically all the general types now in use, except the flat plate type. Part 2 gives the results of wind tunnel tests of resistance on a model fuselage with a nose radiator. Part 3 presents the results of preliminary tests of head resistance of a radiator enclosed in a streamlined casing. Special attention is given to the value of wing radiator and of the radiator located in the open, especially when it is provided with a properly designed streamlined casing.

Kleinschmidt, R V↗
NASA NTRS1921

Pressure Drop in Radiator Air Tubes

This report describes a method for measuring the drop in static pressure of air flowing through a radiator and shows (1) a reason for the discrepancy noted by various observers between head resistance and drop in pressure; (2) a difference in degree of contraction of the jet in entering a circular cell and a square cell; (3) the ratio of internal frictional resistance to total head resistance for two representative types; (4) the effect of smoothness of surface on pressure gradient; and (5) the effects of supplying heat to the radiator on pressure gradient. The fact that the pressure gradients are found to be approximately proportional to the square of the rate of flow of air appears to indicate turbulent flow, even in the short tubes of the radiator. It was found that the drop in the static pressure in the air stream through a cellular radiator and the pressure gradient in the air tubes are practically proportional to the square of the air flow in a given air density; that the difference between the head resistance per unit area and the fall of static pressure through the air tubes in radiators is apparent rather than real; and that radiators of different types differ widely in the amount of contraction of the jet at entrance. The frictional resistance was found to vary considerably, and in one case to be two-thirds of the head resistance in the type using circular cells and one-half of the head resistance of the radiator type using square cells of approximately the same dimensions.

Parsons, S R↗
NASA NTRS1993

Fault handling schemes in electronic systems with specific application to radiation tolerance and VLSI design

Naturally occurring space radiation particles can produce transient and permanent changes in the electrical properties of electronic devices and systems. In this work, the transient radiation effects on DRAM and CMOS SRAM were considered. In addition, the effect of total ionizing dose radiation of the switching times of CMOS logic gates were investigated. Effects of transient radiation on the column and cell of MOS dynamic memory cell was simulated using SPICE. It was found that the critical charge of the bitline was higher than that of the cell. In addition, the critical charge of the combined cell-bitline was found to be dependent on the gate voltage of the access transistor. In addition, the effect of total ionizing dose radiation on the switching times of CMOS logic gate was obtained. The results of this work indicate that, the rise time of CMOS logic gates increases, while the fall time decreases with an increase in total ionizing dose radiation. Also, by increasing the size of the P-channel transistor with respect to that of the N-channel transistor, the propagation delay of CMOS logic gate can be made to decrease with, or be independent of an increase in total ionizing dose radiation. Furthermore, a method was developed for replacing polysilicon feedback resistance of SRAMs with a switched capacitor network. A switched capacitor SRAM was implemented using MOS Technology. The critical change of the switched capacitor SRAM has a very large critical charge. The results of this work indicate that switched capacitor SRAM is a viable alternative to SRAM with polysilicon feedback resistance.

Attia, John Okyere↗
NASA NTRS1993

Session on modeling of radiative transfer processes

The session on modeling of radiative transfer processes is reviewed. Six critical issues surfaced in the discussion concerning scale-interactive radiative processes relevent to the mesoscale convective systems (MCS's). These issues are the need to expand basic knowledge of how MCS's influence climate through extensive cloud shields and increased humidity in the upper troposphere; to improve radiation parameterizations used in mesoscale and General Circulation Model (GCM) models; to improve our basic understanding of the influence of radiation on MCS dynamics due to diabatic heating, production of condensate, and vertical and horizontal heat fluxes; to quantify our understanding of radiative impacts of MCS's on the surface and free atmosphere energy budgets; to quantify and identify radiative and microphysical processes important in the evolution of MCS's; and to improve the capability to remotely sense MCS radiative properties from space and ground-based systems.

Flatau, Piotr↗
NASA NTRS1993

Space radiation health research, 1991-1992

The present volume is a collection of 227 abstracts of radiation research sponsored by the NASA Space Radiation Health Program for the period 1991-1992. Each abstract has been categorized within one of three discipline areas: Physics, Biology and Risk Assessment. Topic areas within each discipline have been assigned as follows: Physics - Atomic Physics, Theory, Cosmic Ray and Astrophysics, Experimental, Environments and Environmental Models, Solar Activity and Prediction, Experiments, Radiation Transport and Shielding, Theory and Model Development, Experimental Studies, and Instrumentation. Biology - Biology, Molecular Biology, Cellular Radiation Biology, Transformation, Mutation, Lethality, Survival, DNA Damage and Repair, Tissue, Organs, and Organisms, In Vivo/In Vitro Systems, Carcinogenesis and Life Shortening, Cataractogenesis, Genetics/Developmental, Radioprotectants, Plants, and Other Effects. Risk Assessment - Risk Assessment, Radiation Health and Epidemiology, Space Flight Radiation Health Physics, Inter- and Intraspecies Extrapolation and Radiation Limits and Standards. Section I contains refereed journals; Section II contains reports/meetings. Keywords and author indices are provided. A collection of abstracts spanning the period 1986-1990 was previously issued as NASA Technical Memorandum 4270.

Jablin, M. H.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Radiation from advanced solid rocket motor plumes

The overall objective of this study was to develop an understanding of solid rocket motor (SRM) plumes in sufficient detail to accurately explain the majority of plume radiation test data. Improved flowfield and radiation analysis codes were developed to accurately and efficiently account for all the factors which effect radiation heating from rocket plumes. These codes were verified by comparing predicted plume behavior with measured NASA/MSFC ASRM test data. Upon conducting a thorough review of the current state-of-the-art of SRM plume flowfield and radiation prediction methodology and the pertinent data base, the following analyses were developed for future design use. The NOZZRAD code was developed for preliminary base heating design and Al2O3 particle optical property data evaluation using a generalized two-flux solution to the radiative transfer equation. The IDARAD code was developed for rapid evaluation of plume radiation effects using the spherical harmonics method of differential approximation to the radiative transfer equation. The FDNS CFD code with fully coupled Euler-Lagrange particle tracking was validated by comparison to predictions made with the industry standard RAMP code for SRM nozzle flowfield analysis. The FDNS code provides the ability to analyze not only rocket nozzle flow, but also axisymmetric and three-dimensional plume flowfields with state-of-the-art CFD methodology. Procedures for conducting meaningful thermo-vision camera studies were developed.

Farmer, Richard C.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Radiation boundary condition and anisotropy correction for finite difference solutions of the Helmholtz equation

In this paper finite-difference solutions of the Helmholtz equation in an open domain are considered. By using a second-order central difference scheme and the Bayliss-Turkel radiation boundary condition, reasonably accurate solutions can be obtained when the number of grid points per acoustic wavelength used is large. However, when a smaller number of grid points per wavelength is used excessive reflections occur which tend to overwhelm the computed solutions. Excessive reflections are due to the incompability between the governing finite difference equation and the Bayliss-Turkel radiation boundary condition. The Bayliss-Turkel radiation boundary condition was developed from the asymptotic solution of the partial differential equation. To obtain compatibility, the radiation boundary condition should be constructed from the asymptotic solution of the finite difference equation instead. Examples are provided using the improved radiation boundary condition based on the asymptotic solution of the governing finite difference equation. The computed results are free of reflections even when only five grid points per wavelength are used. The improved radiation boundary condition has also been tested for problems with complex acoustic sources and sources embedded in a uniform mean flow. The present method of developing a radiation boundary condition is also applicable to higher order finite difference schemes. In all these cases no reflected waves could be detected. The use of finite difference approximation inevita bly introduces anisotropy into the governing field equation. The effect of anisotropy is to distort the directional distribution of the amplitude and phase of the computed solution. It can be quite large when the number of grid points per wavelength used in the computation is small. A way to correct this effect is proposed. The correction factor developed from the asymptotic solutions is source independent and, hence, can be determined once and for all. The effectiveness of the correction factor in providing improvements to the computed solution is demonstrated in this paper.

Tam, Christopher K. W.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Three-dimensional aspects of radiative transfer in remote sensing of precipitation: Application to the 1986 COHMEX storm

Several multifrequency techniques for passive microwave estimation of precipitation based on the absorption and scattering properties of hydrometers have been proposed in the literature. In the present study, plane-parallel limitations are overcome by using a model based on the discrete-ordinates method to solve the radiative transfer equation in three-dimensional rectangular domains. This effectively accounts for the complexity and variety of radiation problems encountered in the atmosphere. This investigation presents result for plane-parallel and three-dimensional radiative transfer for a precipitating system, discusses differences between these results, and suggests possible explanations for these differences. Microphysical properties were obtained from the Colorado State University Regional Atmospehric Modeling System and represent a hailstorm observed during the 1986 Cooperative Huntsville Meteorological Experiment. These properties are used as input to a three-dimensional radiative transfer model in order to simulate satellite observation of the storm. The model output consists of upwelling brightness temperatures at several of the frequencies on the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager. The radiative transfer model accounts for scattering and emission of atmospheric gases and hydrometers in liquid and ice phases. Brightness temperatures obtained from the three-dimensional model of this investigation indicate that horizontal inhomogeneities give rise to brightness temperature fields that can be quite different from fields obtained using plane-parallel radiative transfer theory. These differences are examined for various resolutions of the satellite sensor field of view. In adddition, the issue of boundary conditions for three-dimensional atmospheric radiative transfer is addressed.

Haferman, J. L.↗