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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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At least 685 records · Page 38
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

Error analysis in the measurement of average power with application to switching controllers

Power measurement errors due to the bandwidth of a power meter and the sampling of the input voltage and current of a power meter were investigated assuming sinusoidal excitation and periodic signals generated by a model of a simple chopper system. Errors incurred in measuring power using a microcomputer with limited data storage were also considered. The behavior of the power measurement error due to the frequency responses of first order transfer functions between the input sinusoidal voltage, input sinusoidal current, and the signal multiplier was studied. Results indicate that this power measurement error can be minimized if the frequency responses of the first order transfer functions are identical. The power error analysis was extended to include the power measurement error for a model of a simple chopper system with a power source and an ideal shunt motor acting as an electrical load for the chopper. The behavior of the power measurement error was determined as a function of the chopper's duty cycle and back EMF of the shunt motor. Results indicate that the error is large when the duty cycle or back EMF is small. Theoretical and experimental results indicate that the power measurement error due to sampling of sinusoidal voltages and currents becomes excessively large when the number of observation periods approaches one-half the size of the microcomputer data memory allocated to the storage of either the input sinusoidal voltage or current.

Maisel, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Detailed investigation of a vaporising fuel spray. Part 1: Experimental investigation of time averaged spray

A laser tomographic light scattering technique provides rapid and accurate high resolution measurements of droplet sizes, concentrations, and vaporization. Measurements using a computer interfaced thermocouple are presented and it is found that the potential exists for separating gas and liquid temperature measurements and diagnosing local spray density by in situ analysis of the response characteristics of the thermocouple. The thermocouple technique provides a convenient means for measuring mean gas velocity in both hot and cold two phase flows. The experimental spray is axisymmetric and has carefully controlled initial and boundary conditions. The flow is designed to give relatively insignificant transfer of momentum and mass from spray to air flow. The effects of (1) size-dependent droplet dispersion by the turbulence, (2) the initial spatial segregation of droplet sizes during atomization, and (3) the interaction between droplets and coherent large eddies are diagnosed.

Yule, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Tropospheric UV flux calculations and photolysis rates for use with zonally and diurnally averaged models

A computationally fast and efficient method for calculating solar UV fluxes in the troposphere is developed. Calculated fluxes compare favorably with more rigorous multiple scattering results, and qualitatively correct behavior of the direct and diffuse flux components is maintained. In view of the relatively large uncertainties in other aspects of tropospheric photochemical models, the use of approximate UV flux calculations appears warranted. The technique is applied to the calculation of photolysis rates for twelve significant photolytic reactions of nine species.

Matloff, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Cold-air investigation of first stage of 4-1/2-stage, fan drive turbine with average stage-loading factor of 4.66

The design procedure and the development of the blading geometry for the 4 and 1/2 stage turbine are discussed. Results obtained with the first stage, operated as a single stage turbine, are presented. A free vortex design meets the design requirements without incurring problems such as excessive turning, negative reaction, or high Mach number. Cold air tests of the single stage turbine showed that the turbine developed design work (stage loading factor of 5.26) at an efficiency of 0.86, which was the efficiency predicted by a reference method. The mass flow at this condition was 0.88, which occurred at design speed and a pressure ratio of 1.407, corresponding to a stage loading factor of 4.35. The efficiency at this condition was 0.003 higher than that predicted by the reference method.

Whitney, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Melt density and the average composition of basalt

Densities of residual liquids produced by low pressure fractionation of olivine-rich melts pass through a minimum when pyroxene and plagioclase joint the crystallization sequence. The observation that erupted basalt compositions cluster around the degree of fractionation from picritic liquids corresponding to the density minimum in the liquid line of descent may thus suggest that the earth's crust imposes a density fiber on the liquids that pass through it, favoring the eruption of the light liquids at the density minimum over the eruption of denser more fractionated and less fractionated liquids.

Stolper, E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Satellite-derived ice data sets no. 1: Antarctic monthly average microwave brightness temperatures and sea-ice concentrations, 1973 - 1976

A summary data set concerning 4 years of Antarctic sea-ice conditions was created and is available on magnetic tape. The data were derived from electrically scanning microwave radiometer brightness temperatures and were mapped into a polar stereographic grid enclosing the 50 deg S latitude circle. The grid size varies from about 32 by 32 sq km at the poles to about 28 by 28 sq km at 50 deg S. The microwave brightness temperatures of Antarctic sea ice are predominantly characteristic of first-year ice with an emissivity of 0.92 at 19 GHz frequency. Sea ice concentrations were calculated from the brightness temperature data for each grid element with an algorithm that uses an emissivity value of 0.92 and an ice physical temperature estimate from climatological surface air temperatures. Monthly, multiyear monthly, and yearly maps of brightness temperatures and sea ice concentrations were created for the 4 years, except for 7 months for which useable data were insufficient.

Zwally, H. J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Troposphere-stratosphere (surface-55 km) monthly winter general circulation statistics for the Northern Hemisphere Four year averages

In response to theoretically predicted anthropogenic depletion of stratospheric ozone, there has been, in recent years, an increased effort in stratospheric modeling. For comparison between models and observations, it is not sufficient to only compare the morphology of model-generated parameters with observed parameter values. Model-generated statistics should also be compared with observation. It is one of the objectives of the present investigation to discuss a data set which can be used for this purpose for the Northern Hemisphere troposphere and stratosphere. However, the investigation is mainly concerned with a presentation of some of the general circulation statistics derived with the aid of the data set. Attention is given to winter monthly general circulation statistics which were derived from four years of daily 1200 GMT NOAA/NMC Northern Hemisphere analyses.

Geller, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Average configuration of the distant (less than 220-earth-radii) magnetotail - Initial ISEE-3 magnetic field results

Magnetic field measurements from the first two passes of the ISEE-3 GEOTAIL Mission have been used to study the structure of the trans-lunar tail. Good agreement was found between the ISEE-3 magnetopause crossings and the Explorer 33, 35 model of Howe and Binsack (1972). Neutral sheet location was well ordered by the hinged current sheet models based upon near earth measurements. Between X = -20 and -120 earth radii the radius of the tail increases by about 30 percent while the lobe field strength decreases by approximately 60 percent. Beyond X = -100 to -1200 earth radii the tail diameter and lobe field magnitude become nearly constant at terminal values of approximately 60 earth radii and 9 nT, respectively. The distance at which the tail was observed to cease flaring, 100-120 earth radii, is in close agreement with the predictions of the analytic tail model of Coroniti and Kennel (1972). Overall, the findings of this study suggest that the magnetotail retains much of its near earth structure out to X = -220 earth radii.

Slavin, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Predictabilty of time averages: The influence of the boundary forcing

The physical mechanisms through which changes in the boundary forcings of SST, soil moisture, albedo, sea ice, and snow influence the atmospheric circulation are discussed. Results of numerical experiments conducted with the GLAS climate model to determine the sensitivity of the model atmosphere to changes in boundary conditions of SST, soil moisture, and albedo over limited regions are dicussed. It is found that changes in SST and soil moisture in the tropic produce large changes in the atmospheric circulation and rainfall over the tropics as well as over mid-latitudes.

Shukla, J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Computer simulation of the effects of transmission-averaging in microdensitometry

One of the principal advantages of electrography when compared to photography is the nearly linear relationship between source intensity versus resulting image density. This property allows for simplified and more accurate photometric calibration and permits a certain degree of extrapolation of the calibration to beyond the limits of the faintest photoelectric standard on an exposure. The desires to extract quantitative photometric information from electrographic (or photographic) negatives and to convert this information into a digital format for computer analysis or enhancement led to the widespread use of scanning microdensitometers to perform this A-to-D conversion. Therefore it is of vital importance to understand and, if practical, to avoid any nonlinearities which may be introduced during microdensitometry of electrographic emulsions.

Heckathorn, H. M.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Simulation of the earth's monthly average regional radiation balance derived from satellite measurements

Computer simulations of satellite-derived earth radiation parameters are used to determine the source and size of errors arising from measuring parameters over 1 month on a 2.5 deg x 2.5 deg longitude-latitude grid. November 1979 GOES data are used as a source of radiation parameter fields within each region. A mathematical model is given for the data-processing algorithms that are used to produce daily, monthly, and monthly hourly estimates of shortwave, longwave and net radiant exitance. Resulting retrieval errors are found to be due to insufficient knowledge of the temporal distribution of measurements. These errors, in combination with similar sampling errors produce biases in monthly net radiant exitance which are complex, regionally-dependent functions of the local time of the measurements. The 40 region standard errors of estimate for three satellites ranged from 2 to 3 W per sq. m., while single satellite errors ranged from 5 to 19 W per sq. m. A three-satellite system is therefore recommended to reduce biases.

Brooks, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Predictability of time averages. I - Dynamical predictability of monthly means. II - The influence of the boundary forcings

The physical basis for the dynamic prediction of monthly means in weather parameters is examined in two papers. In the first paper, an attempt is made to determine the theoretical upper limit of dynamical predictability of monthly means for prescribed nonfluctuating external forcings. In the second paper, the physical mechanisms through which changes in the boundary forcings of SST, soil moisture, albedo, and snow influence atmospheric circulation are discussed. On the basis of both studies, the essential requirements for establishing the physical basis for dynamical prediction of monthly means are to show that: (1) fluctuations of monthly means are larger than can be expected due to sampling of day-to-day weather changes; (2) there are low frequency planetary scale components of circulation which remain predictable beyond the limits of synoptic scale predictability; and (3) the influences of the slowly varying boundary conditions of SST, soil moisture, snow, sea ice are large enough to produce significant and detectable changes in the monthly mean circulations. Observational and numerical evidence which support these requirements are presented.

Shukla, J.↗