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At least 667 records · Page 37

Evaluating the Performance of Portable Air Filter Walls for the James Webb Space Telescope Launch Campaign

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched from the Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG) in December 2021. JWST’s requirements permitted processing in International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Class 7 or better facilities, but CSG was only equipped with ISO Class 8 facilities. To temporarily upgrade the air cleanliness in the Payload Processing Facility, Fueling Hall, and Final Assembly Building Encapsulation Hall, NASA provided two portable High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) and carbon filter walls that were used in each location. The walls were comprised of stacks of two modules high and arranged in push-push configurations as shown to be most effective via Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations of expected floor layouts in each facility. After delivery to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in 2020, the walls underwent initial verification measurements inside a cleanroom and validation testing in an uncontrolled area to quantify their improvement of air cleanliness and particle and molecular fallout. Validation testing showed improvements of 83-99% for airborne particle counts, 79-91% for particle fallout, and 50-90% for molecular fallout. The particle improvements were applied to the contamination budget analysis that tracked current and predicted future cleanliness against End-of-Life requirements for JWST’s critical surfaces. At CSG, the walls successfully maintained an ISO Class 7 environment or better within their envelope in each location, despite their presence in ISO Class 8 facilities with dense integration operations.

HEPA, Contamination Control, Filtration↗

Unsteady vortex lattice techniques applied to wake formation and performance of the statically thrusting propeller

The application is considered of vortex lattice techniques to the problem of describing the aerodynamics and performance of statically thrusting propellers. A numerical lifting surface theory to predict the aerodynamic forces and power is performed. The chordwise and spanwise loading is modelled by bound vortices fixed to a twisted flat plate surface. In order to eliminate any apriori assumptions regarding the wake shape, it is assumed the propeller starts from rest. The wake is generated in time and allowed to deform under its own self-induced velocity field as the motion of the propeller progresses. The bound circulation distribution is then determined with time by applying the flow tangency boundary condition at certain selected control points on the blades. The aerodynamics of the infinite wing and finite wing are also considered. The details of wake formation and roll-up are investigated, particularly the localized induction effect. It is concluded that proper wake roll-up and roll-up rates can be established by considering the details of motion at the instant of start.

Hall, G. F.↗

Influence of Triply-Charged Ions and Ionization Cross-Sections in a Hybrid-PIC Model of a Hall Thruster Discharge

The sensitivity of xenon ionization rates to collision cross-sections is studied within the framework of a hybrid-PIC model of a Hall thruster discharge. A revised curve fit based on the Drawin form is proposed and is shown to better reproduce the measured crosssections at high electron energies, with differences in the integrated rate coefficients being on the order of 10% for electron temperatures between 20 eV and 30 eV. The revised fit is implemented into HPHall and the updated model is used to simulate NASA's HiVHAc EDU2 Hall thruster at discharge voltages of 300, 400, and 500 V. For all three operating points, the revised cross-sections result in an increase in the predicted thrust and anode efficiency, reducing the error relative to experimental performance measurements. Electron temperature and ionization reaction rates are shown to follow the trends expected based on the integrated rate coefficients. The effects of triply-charged xenon are also assessed. The predicted thruster performance is found to have little or no dependence on the presence of triply-charged ions. The fraction of ion current carried by triply-charged ions is found to be on the order of 1% and increases slightly with increasing discharge voltage. The reaction rates for the 0→III, I→III, and II→III ionization reactions are found to be of similar order of magnitude and are about one order of magnitude smaller than the rate of 0→II ionization in the discharge channel.

Hall Thrusters↗

Segregation of Impurities in Directionally Solidified Silicon

Hall measurements and four-point probe resistivity measurements are used to determine the concentration profile of boron and iron in doped semi-conductor silicon ingots grown by the Bridgman technique. The concentration profiles are fitted to the normal segregation equation and the effective segregation coefficient, K sub eff, is calculated. The average value of K sub eff, is 0.803 for boron. For iron, K sub eff, is concentration dependent and is in the range 0.00008 to 0.00012.

Ravishankar, P. S.↗

Propulsion Instruments for Small Hall Thruster Integration

Planning and development are underway for the propulsion instrumentation necessary for the next AFRL electric propulsion flight project, which includes both a small Hall thruster and a micro-PPT. These instruments characterize the environment induced by the thruster and the associated data constitute part of a 'user's manual' for these thrusters. Several instruments probe the back-flow region of the thruster plume, and the data are intended for comparison with detailed numerical models in this region. Specifically, an ion probe is under development to determine the energy and species distributions, and a Langmuir probe will be employed to characterize the electron density and temperature. Other instruments directly measure the effects of thruster operation on spacecraft thermal control surfaces, optical surfaces, and solar arrays. Specifically, radiometric, photometric, and solar-cell-based sensors are under development. Prototype test data for most sensors should be available, together with details of the instrumentation subsystem and spacecraft interface.

ion probes↗

Onset of condensation effects as detected by total pressure probes in the Langley 0.3-meter transonic cryogenic tunnel

Total pressure probes mounted in the test section of a 0.3 meter transonic cryogenic tunnel were used to detect the onset of condensation effects for free stream Mach numbers of 0.50, 0.75, 0.85, and 0.95 and for total pressure between one and five atmospheres. The amount of supercooling was found to be about 3 K and suggests that condensation was occurring on pre-existing liquid nitrogen droplets resulting from incomplete evaporation of the liquid nitrogen injected to cool the tunnel. The liquid nitrogen injection process presently being used for the 0.3 m tunnel was found to result in a wide spectrum of droplet sizes being injected into the flow. Since the relatively larger droplets took much more time to evaporate than the more numerous smaller droplets, the larger ones reached the test section first as the tunnel operating temperature was reduced. However, condensation effects in the test section were not immediately measurable because there was not a sufficient number of the larger droplets to have an influence on the thermodynamics of the flow.

Hall, R. M.↗

Reliability of structural brittle materials

Traditionally, the use of brittle materials has been avoided in demanding structural applications because of their unreliability. They have been used however, due to other desirable properties, in nonstructural applications or where the mechanical load is minimal. The most common method utilized today for the design approach of brittle materials is the probabilistic, which takes into consideration the flaw and stress distribution within the brittle material. It does not take into consideration the fracture mechanics effect of strength degradation while aging under a mechanical load. This project will combine the two methods, probabilistic and fracture mechanics, into a more reliable design method for brittle materials.

Hall, W. B.↗

Multidimensional computer simulation of Stirling cycle engines

This report summarizes the activities performed under NASA-Grant NAG3-1097 during 1991. During that period, work centered on the following tasks: (1) to investigate more effective solvers for ALGAE; (2) to modify the plotting package for ALGAE; and (3) to validate ALGAE by simulating oscillating flow problems similar to those studied by Kurzweg and Ibrahim.

Hall, Charles A.↗

A proven approach for more effective software development and maintenance

Modern space flight mission operations and associated ground data systems are increasingly dependent upon reliable, quality software. Critical functions such as command load preparation, health and status monitoring, communications link scheduling and conflict resolution, and transparent gateway protocol conversion are routinely performed by software. Given budget constraints and the ever increasing capabilities of processor technology, the next generation of control centers and data systems will be even more dependent upon software across all aspects of performance. A key challenge now is to implement improved engineering, management, and assurance processes for the development and maintenance of that software; processes that cost less, yield higher quality products, and that self-correct for continual improvement evolution. The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has a unique experience base that can be readily tapped to help solve the software challenge. Over the past eighteen years, the Software Engineering Laboratory within the code 500 Flight Dynamics Division has evolved a software development and maintenance methodology that accommodates the unique characteristics of an organization while optimizing and continually improving the organization's software capabilities. This methodology relies upon measurement, analysis, and feedback much analogous to that of control loop systems. It is an approach with a time-tested track record proven through repeated applications across a broad range of operational software development and maintenance projects. This paper describes the software improvement methodology employed by the Software Engineering Laboratory, and how it has been exploited within the Flight Dynamics Division with GSFC Code 500. Examples of specific improvement in the software itself and its processes are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the methodology. Finally, the initial findings are given when this methodology was applied across the mission operations and ground data systems software domains throughout Code 500.

Pajerski, Rose↗

Fairfield Plume Measurement and Analysis on the NASA-300M and NASA-300MS

NASA is developing a 10- to 15-kW Hall thruster system to support future NASA missions. This activity is funded under the Space Technology Mission Directorate Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Mission project. As a part of the development process, the NASA-300M, a 20-kW Hall thruster, was modified to incorporate the magnetic shielding concept and named the NASA-300MS. This activity was undertaken to assess the viability of using the magnetic shielding concept on a high-power Hall thruster to greatly reduce discharge channel erosion. This paper reports on the study to characterize the far-field plumes of the NASA-300M and NASA-300MS. Diagnostics deployed included a polarlyswept Faraday probe, a Wien filter (ExB probe), a retarding potential analyzer, and a Langmuir probe. During the study, a new, more accurate, integration method for analyzing Wien filter probe data was implemented and effect of secondary electron emission on the Faraday probe data was treated. Comparison of the diagnostic results from the two thrusters showed that the magnetically shielded version performed with ~2 percent higher voltage utilization efficiency, ~2 percent lower plume divergence efficiency, and ~2 percent lower mass utilization efficiency compared to the baseline version. The net change in efficiency is within the aggregate measurement uncertainty so the overall performance is roughly equal for the two versions of the thruster. Anode efficiency calculated from thrust stand measurement corroborates this finding.

Hall thruster↗

Analytical study of a free-wing/free-trimmer concept

The free-wing/free-trimmer is a NASA-Conceived extension of the free-wing concept intended to permit the use of high-lift flaps. Wing pitching moments are balanced by a smaller, external surface attached by a boom or equivalent structure. The external trimmer is, itself, a miniature free wing, and pitch control of the wing-trimmer assembly is effected through a trailing-edge control tab on the trimmer surface. The longitudinal behavior of representative small free-wing/free-trimmer aircraft was analyzed. Aft-mounted trimmer surfaces are found to be superior to forward trimmers, although the permissible trimmer moment arm is limited, in both cases, by adverse dynamic effects. Aft-trimmer configurations provide excellent gust alleviation and meet fundamental stick-fixed stability criteria while exceeding the lift capabilities of pure free-wing configurations.

Porter, R. F.↗

On the Goertler vortex instability mechanism at hypersonic speeds

The linear instability of the hypersonic boundary layer on a curved wall is considered. As a starting point real-gas effects are ignored and the viscosity of the fluid is taken to be related to the temperature either by Chapman's Law or by Sutherland's Law. It is shown that the flow is susceptible to Goertler vortices. If Chapman's Law is used the vortices are trapped in the logarithmically thin adjustment layer in which the temperature of the basic flow changes rapidly to its free stream value and the nonuniqueness of the neutral stability curve associated with incompressible Goertler vortices is shown to disappear at high Mach numbers if the appropriate 'fast' streamwise dependence of the instability is built into the disturbance flow structure. If, on the other hand, Sutherland's Law is used, the vortices are found to spread into an O(1) region and the concept of a unique neutral stability curve is not tenable because of the nonparallel effects. For both laws the leading order terms in the expansions of the Goertler number are independent of the wave number and are due to the curvature of the basic state.

Hall, P.↗

Three dimensional potential and current distributions in a Hall generator with assumed velocity profiles

Three-dimensional potential and current distributions in a Faraday segmented MHD generator operating in the Hall mode are computed. Constant conductivity and a Hall parameter of 1.0 is assumed. The electric fields and currents are assumed to be coperiodic with the electrode structure. The flow is assumed to be fully developed and a family of power-law velocity profiles, ranging from parabolic to turbulent, is used to show the effect of the fullness of the velocity profile. Calculation of the square of the current density shows that nonequilibrium heating is not likely to occur along the boundaries. This seems to discount the idea that the generator insulating walls are regions of high conductivity and are therefore responsible for boundary-layer shorting, unless the shorting is a surface phenomenon on the insulating material.

Stankiewicz, N.↗

Fourier Transform Spectrometer observations of solar carbon monoxide. I - The fundamental and first overtone bands in the quiet sun

Measurements of the 2200/cm fundamental and 4300/cm first overtone vibration-rotation band systems of solar carbon monoxide, were obtained with the Fourier Transform Spectrometer of the McMath telescope at Kitt Peak. The overtone measurements were taken at the east, north, and west heliocentric limbs, and at disk center. Observations of the strong fundamental bands were obtained at disk center and near the north limb. The low core brightness temperatures of the strongest fundamental carbon monoxide lines near the limb, reported previously by Noyes (1972) and Hall (1974), are confirmed. The possibility that thermal inhomogeneities might be responsible for the unusual behavior of the fundamental carbon dioxide lines have been examined. The somewhat discordant behavior of the fundamental lines at disk center compared with the north limb seems to favor a limb shadowing effect. The first overtone limb equivalent widths and the best-fit thermal and microvelocity models indicate a solar carbon abundance of 0.004 (on the scale with A sub H = 1) for an oxygen-to-carbon abundance ratio of 2.

Ayres, T. R.↗

Calculated effect of various types of flap on take-off over obstacles

In order to determine whether or not flaps could be expected to have any beneficial effect on take-off performance, the distances required to take off and climb to an altitude of 50 feet were calculated for hypothetical airplanes, corresponding to relatively high-speed types and equipped with several types of flap. The types considered are the Fowler wing, the Hall wing, the split flap, the balanced split flap, the plain flap, and the external-airfoil flap. The results indicate that substantial reductions in take-off distance are possible through the use of flaps, provided that the proper flap angle corresponding to a given set of conditions is used. The best flap angle for taking off varies inversely as power loading and, to a much smaller extent, varies inversely with wing loading. Apparently, the best take-off characteristics are provided by the type of device in which the flap forms an extension to the main wing as in the case of the Fowler wing and the external-airfoil flap.

Wetmore, J W↗

Effect of track structure and radioprotectors on the induction of oncogenic transformation in murine fibroblasts by heavy ions

The oncogenic potential of high-energy 56Fe particles (1 GeV/nucleon) accelerated with the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron at the Brookhaven National Laboratory was examined utilizing the mouse C3H 10T1/2 cell model. The dose-averaged LET for high-energy 56Fe is estimated to be 143 keV/micrometer with the exposure conditions used in this study. For 56Fe ions, the maximum relative biological effectiveness (RBEmax) values for cell survival and oncogenic transformation were 7.71 and 16.5 respectively. Compared to 150 keV/micrometer 4He nuclei, high-energy 56Fe nuclei were significantly less effective in cell killing and oncogenic induction. The prostaglandin E1 analog misoprostol, an effective oncoprotector of C3H 10T1/2 cells exposed to X rays, was evaluated for its potential as a radioprotector of oncogenic transformation with high-energy 56Fe. Exposure of cells to misoprostol did not alter 56Fe cytotoxicity or the rate of 56Fe-induced oncogenic transformation.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗

Influence of Reynolds number on forebody side forces for 3.5-diameter tangent-ogive bodies

Vortex asymmetries can arise on aircraft and missile forebodies at high angles of attack and have proven difficult to simulate in the wind tunnel because of a large array of parameters that can influence the test results. One of the most important of these parameters is Reynolds number. The current report compares, for tangent-ogive forebodies with fineness ratios of 3.5, flow patterns from oil-flow photographs to features in pressure distributions. The pressure data base is then used to illustrate the development of the sectional side force coefficient along both the tangent-ogive nose and an attached cylindrical afterbody for Reynolds numbers of 0.2, 0.8 and 3.8 million, based on maximum diameter, and angles of attack of 40, 50 and 60 deg. General commments concerning the effects of Reynolds number are presented, as well as an analysis of the effects of Reynolds number on the sectional side force coefficient near and at the apex of the pointed body. All data presented are for freestream Mach numbers on the order of 0.25.

Hall, Robert M.↗

Effects of Goertler vortices, wall cooling and gas dissociation on the Rayleigh instability in a hypersonic boundary layer

In a hypersonic boundary layer over a wall of variable curvature, the region most susceptible to Goertler vortices is the temperature adjustment layer sitting at the edge of the boundary layer. This temperature adjustment layer is also the most dangerous site for Reyleigh instability. We investigate how the existence of large amplitude Goertler vortices affects the growth rate of Rayleigh instability. The effects of wall cooling and gas dissociation on this instability are also studied. We find that all these mechanisms increase the growth rate of Rayleigh instability and are therefore destabilizing.

Fu, Yibin↗