Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “driving”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 667 records · Page 37

Current studies of CH3D: Ye olde line drive

The CH3D molecule is an intermediate methane which has immediate importance in the study of the chemical composition of the outer planets. The deuterium present in the atmospheres of the giant planets is thought to be representative of the protosolar composition, a quantity of high interest to cosmogonists and to cosmologists. The values of D/H range from about .0002 in the interstellar medium to .00016 in sea water here on Earth. The CH3D molecule was examined as a probe of the D/H ratio.

Lutz, B. L.↗

Petrology of Apollo 15 station 9A surface and drive tube soils

Modal analysis data are presented for six samples from the upper part of the Apollo 15 lunar core 15010/011 in order to further investigate the maturation profile of the core and to estimate the source rock contribution. The core data are compared with those of the adjacent soils 15531 and 15601. The soils analyzed are relatively immature and remarkably homogeneous. Surface soil 15531 is the most immature one, which is attributed to the fact that it was sampled from the rim of a relatively recent 3 m-diameter crater and thus contains an admixture of fresh bedrock material ejected by this cratering event. The major source of rock contribution to the soils is from petrographically identifiable mare basalts (about 89% to the core and to 15601 and about 87% to 15531). Olivine basalts and quartz normative basalts occur in an approximate ratio of 3:1; contributions of KREEP basalts and the Front are relatively minor.

Griffiths, S. A.↗

Experiments using atmospheric forcing from a FGGE analysis to drive an upper ocean model

Results are presented of a series of numerical experiments in which an upper ocean model is driven by surface heat fluxes and stress fields derived from the FGGE SOP-1 GLAS analysis/forecast system (Halem, et al., 1982). The model results show that most changes in the mixed layer height and horizontal velocity occurs in the first days. On the other hand, changes in the temperature field take a longer time to develop. In the most realistic case (real initial conditions, instantaneous forcing fields from the atmospheric analysis), the resulting changes in temperature were larger than observed and the correlation between observed and predicted changes was poor. The deficiency in the forecast of SST changes may be due to several factors: lack of sufficient ocean resolution, improper initialization, lack of feedback between the ocean and the atmosphere and the absence of transports by the strong boundary currents, and perhaps unrealistic surface fluxes of heat and momentum. Unless these problems are alleviated it is not reasonable to perform coupled atmospheric ocean forecasts.

Camerlengo, A.↗

Productivity goals drive office automation

Office automation (OA) steps being taken by NASA to improve efficiency in communications between centers and personnel are outlined. NASA centers are currently linked by satellite for electronic mail and scheduling through dumb and intelligent terminals. The implementation of teleconferencing with interactive graphics transmitted between dial-up terminals is being examined in a pilot program, and interactive data bases are already in operation, with an on-line summary data base being planned for NASA headquarters. The NASA Recon on-line service is operating with citations of over 2,200,000 aeronautics and astronautics research documents and 300,000 scientific books accessed by over 250 terminals around the U.S. The emphasis for all the OA systems is on user-friendly design and minimizing the required input for entry and access.

Bradley, A. P.↗

Life test performance of a Philips rhombic-drive refrigerator with bellows seals

In February 1979, tour Stirling cycle cryogenic refrigerators, developed by Philips Laboratories for the John Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory, were launched into orbit aboard the P78-1 spacecraft. The refrigerators were designed to cool the detectors of two identical gamma-ray spectrometers to 77 K reliably for one year. Since launch, the refrigerators, still in orbit, have individually accumulated from 5,000 to over 20,000 hours of operation. As part of those efforts, a refrigerator identical to those in orbit was built, with one significant modification: flexible metal bellows between the crankcase and the working volume to prevent possible contaminants from migrating into the cold region. During the life test of the modified refrigerator, the temperature increase during the first three month run was 0.022 k/day, a negligible level. As of October 1982, the unit has accumulated over 12,300 hours of operation.

Lindale, E.↗

A conceptual design study for the secondary mirror drive of the shuttle infrared telescope facility (SIRTF)

Various conceptual designs for the secondary mirror actuator system to be used in the Shuttle Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) were evaluated. In addition, a set of design concepts was developed to assist in the solution of problems crucial for optimum performance of the secondary mirror actuator system. A specific conceptual approach was presented along with a plan for developing that approach and identifying issues of critical importance in the developmental effort.

Sager, R. E.↗

The drive for Aircraft Energy Efficiency

NASA's Aircraft Energy Efficiency (ACEE) program, which began in 1976, has mounted a development effort in four major transport aircraft technology fields: laminar flow systems, advanced aerodynamics, flight controls, and composite structures. ACEE has explored two basic methods for achieving drag-reducing boundary layer laminarization: the use of suction through the wing structure (via slots or perforations) to remove boundary layer turbulence, and the encouragement of natural laminar flow maintenance through refined design practices. Wind tunnel tests have been conducted for wide bodied aircraft equipped with high aspect ratio supercritical wings and winglets. Maneuver load control and pitch-active stability augmentation control systems reduce fuel consumption by reducing the drag associated with high aircraft stability margins. Composite structures yield lighter airframes that in turn call for smaller wing and empennage areas, reducing induced drag for a given payload. In combination, all four areas of development are expected to yield a fuel consumption reduction of 40 percent.

James, R. L., Jr.↗

Development of a rotary power transformer and inverter drive for spacecraft

Many future satellites and spacecraft with spun and despun configurations will require the transfer of power across rotating interfaces in lieu of slip-rings and/or flexures. This is particularly true of spacecraft that have to demonstrate a long life expectancy. The rotary transformer has the desirable characteristics of high reliability and low noise, which qualify it as a potential replacement for slip rings. Development of a rotary power transformer follows the successful completion of a task to develop rotary signal-level transformers for the Galileo Spacecraft Project. The physical configuration of a rotary power transformer has a significant effect on its magnetic and electrical characteristics and therefore impacts the design of the dc/ac inverter driver. Important characteristics addressed during this development effort include: operating frequency, efficiency, transformer gap size, leakage inductance, and leakage flux. A breadboard inverter and rotary transformer were designed, fabricated and tested.

Mclyman, W. T.↗

Jet pump-drive system for heat removal

A jet pump, in combination with a TEMP, is employed to assure safe cooling of a nuclear reactor after shutdown. A TEMP, responsive to the heat from the coolant in the secondary flow path, automatically pumps the withdrawn coolant to a higher pressure and thus higher velocity compared to the main flow. The high velocity coolant is applied as a driver flow for the jet pump which has a main flow chamber located in the main flow circulation pump. Upon nuclear shutdown and loss of power for the main reactor pumping system, the TEMP/jet pump combination continues to boost the coolant flow in the direction it is already circulating. During the decay time for the nuclear reactor, the jet pump keeps running until the coolant temperature drops to a lower and safe temperature. At this lower temperature, the TEMP/jet jump combination ceases its circulation boosting operation. The TEMP/jet pump combination is automatic, self-regulating and provides an emergency pumping system free of moving parts.

French, J. R.↗

True polar wander and plate-driving forces

The nature of net torques applied to the lithosphere by ridge and trench forces as implied by the absence of recent true polar wander is explored. The 'ridge push' and 'trench pull' forces and the potential net torques on the global lithosphere contributed by each of these forces are discussed. It is shown that the relative magnitudes of the net torques contributed by ridge and trench forces are constrained by the absence of true polar wander during the Cenozoic and by the magnitudes of basal shear stresses on the faster moving plates. It is suggested that the lack of recent true polar wander may be due at least in part to the coincidence of a near cancellation of net torques contributed by ridge and trench forces.

Davis, D. M.↗

Space crew productivity: A driving factor in space station design

The criteria of performance, cost, and mission success probability (program confidence) are the principal factors that program or project managers and system engineers use in selecting the optimum design approach for meeting mission objectives. A frame of reference is discussed in which the interrelationships of these pertinent parameters can be made visible, and from which rational or informed decisions can be derived regarding the potential impact of adjustments in crew productivity on total Space Station System effectiveness.

Wolbers, H. L.↗

Clipper for High-Impedance Current-Drive Line

New circuit leakage reduced by shunting current through saturated input at operational-amplifier follower already part of Howland, or equivalent, current source. Typical application is in circuit of germanium resistance thermometer in cryogenic system.

Woodhouse, Christopher E.↗

Mutual downwash interference effects on the normal force and roll driving coefficients of multi-stage rockets

For several years, the TAD2 computer program has been used to calculate the aerodynamic properties of sounding rockets. This program was limited, however, in that a maximum of two fin sets could be accommodated analytically. In addition, the roll moment coefficients did not consider downwash effects. Techniques are developed and equations derived for the expansion of capability to include three fin sets. The effects of downwash on the roll moment coefficients are also treated analytically for two and three stage rockets.

Ward, P. R.↗

Driving mechanism of unsteady separation shock motion in hypersonic interactive flow

Wall pressure fluctuations were measured under the steady separation shock waves in Mach 5 turbulent interactions induced by unswept circular cylinders on a flat plate. The wall temperature was adiabatic. A conditional sampling algorithm was developed to examine the statistics of the shock wave motion. The same algorithm was used to examine data taken in earlier studies in the Princeton University Mach 3 blowdown tunnel. In these earlier studies, hemicylindrically blunted fins of different leading-edge diameters were tested in boundary layers which developed on the tunnel floor and on a flat plate. A description of the algorithm, the reasons why it was developed and the sensitivity of the results to the threshold settings, are discussed. The results from the algorithm, together with cross correlations and power spectral density estimates suggests that the shock motion is driven by the low-frequency unsteadiness of the downstream separated, vortical flow.

Dolling, D. S.↗

Roller drive materials performance

Roller traction performance basics, a test program to measure performance, and the need for and typical use of the information are outlined. A test rig was designed and fabricated to develop this information. Parametric conditions and specimen materials were chosen so that the resulting data will be valuable to the design and development of advanced, roller-driven space mechanisms, from precision positioning devices to telerobot joints.

Rohn, Douglas A.↗