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At least 703 records · Page 39
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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Test Section Characterization of the 9- by 15-Foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel

Following completion of the 9- by 15-Foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel acoustic improvement modification project, a characterization of the flow field throughout the 9- by 15-foot test section was conducted in 2019. The acoustic improvement modifications project included several large-scale tunnel loop modifications and reconstruction of the 9- by 15-Foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel test section and diffuser to decrease the noise floor in the test section. Data were collected at three cross-sectional planes in the 9- by 15-ft test section using a 15-foot traversing calibration rake and a set of eight boundary layer rakes. The data from the characterization test were used to generate calibration relationships for facility operation and understand the flow quality in the new test section, including uniformity, flow angularity, turbulence intensity, and boundary layer characteristics. Additionally, the subsonic quick check rake was used to baseline the check calibration data set for the new test section.

Calibration↗
NASA NTRS2008

Interferometric Rayleigh Scattering Measurement System

A method and apparatus for performing simultaneous multi-point measurements of multiple velocity components in a gas flow is described. Pulses of laser light are directed to a measurement region of unseeded gas to produce Rayleigh or Mie scattered light in a plurality of directions. The Rayleigh or Mie scattered light is collected from multiple directions and combined in a single collimated light beam. The Rayleigh or Mie scattered light is then mixed together with a reference laser light before it is passed through a single planar Fabry-Perot interferometer for spectral analysis. At the output of the interferometer, a high-sensitivity CCD camera images the interference fringe pattern. This pattern contains the spectral and spatial information from both the Rayleigh scattered light and the reference laser light. Interferogram processing software extracts and analyzes spectral profiles to determine the velocity components of the gas flow at multiple points in the measurement region. The Rayleigh light rejected by the interferometer is recirculated to increase the accuracy and the applicability of the method for measurements at high temperatures without requiring an increase in the laser energy.

Bivolaru, Daniel↗
NASA NTRS1974

Retransmission of water resources data using the ERTS-1 data collection system

The Water Survey of Canada operates a network of approximately 2400 gauging stations at which water level data are collected. Nine DCPs were installed in isolated areas of northern and western Canada. It was felt that DCPs in these locations would be exposed to climatic conditions severe enough to provide a check on system reliability. Water level data are transmitted from all sites and, also, some of the DCPs are used to transmit ice break-up, water velocity, precipitation, air temperature, water stage recorder clock operation or DCP battery voltage. Consideration is being given to transmitting other parameters that would be of value in flood or flow forecasting. Results of the project have been excellent. There has been no data loss that can be attributed to failure of a DCP although data were lost because of sensor malfunctions. The quality of data collected compares favourably with that of the hard record obtained at the remote sites. Costs of using the ERTS Data Collection System are reasonable.

Halliday, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Multilayer Approach for Characterization of Bacterial Diversity in a Marginal Sea: From Surface to Seabed

Bacteria are the most important microorganisms in the world oceans, accounting for up to 75% of the total biomass. They are responsible for fundamental biogeochemical processes and therefore often used as ecological indicators. In this study, bacteria were quantified by flow cytometry and their diversity assessed by High Throughput Sequencing (HTS) in the southern Adriatic Sea. The most abundant bacterial groups were also quantified by qPCR. The samples were collected from the surface to the seabed over a total of 16 different depths at four stations during the late winter BIOTA (BIO-Tracing Adriatic water masses) cruise conducted in March 2016. The investigated area showed unusual water mass properties and was characterized by a shallow mixed layer, which differed from the usual winter convection conditions, typical of middle-altitude ecosystems and important for the seasonal picoplankton dynamics of this area. Heterotrophic bacteria were separated into HNA (relative High Nucleic Acid content) and LNA (Low Nucleic Acid content) subpopulations with abundances up to 1.8×10(exp 5) and 8.8×10(exp 5) cells/mL, respectively. HNA dominated at offshore stations reaching their maximum at depths below the euphotic zone. The bacterial community was dominated by Alphaproteobacteria, accounting for greater than 40% of the total sequence reads and were mainly represented by the SAR11 clade (90.84%), followed by Marinimicrobia (18% of the total sequence reads), mainly represented by clade SAR406 (8.44%). Distinctive bacterial groups were found in the euphotic layer (Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria) and aphotic layer samples (Deltaproteobacteria, Marinimicrobia, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria and Planctomycetes). Results of the qPCR analyses further confirmed HTS results with highest abundances obtained for Alphaproteobacteria, followed by Gammaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. The adopted multiple approach, combining different molecular tools, critically supported by optics and flow cytometry, reveal changes in the bacterial assemblages during the unusual thermohaline conditions observed in 2016 in the southern Adriatic Sea.

Southern Adriatic Sea↗
NASA NTRS2005

Strawman Philosophical Guide for Developing International Network of GPM GV Sites

The creation of an international network of ground validation (GV) sites that will support the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission's international science programme will require detailed planning of mechanisms for exchanging technical information, GV data products, and scientific results. An important component of the planning will be the philosophical guide under which the network will grow and emerge as a successful element of the GPM Mission. This philosophical guide should be able to serve the mission in developing scientific pathways for ground validation research which will ensure the highest possible quality measurement record of global precipitation products. The philosophical issues, in this regard, partly stem from the financial architecture under which the GV network will be developed, i.e., each participating country will provide its own financial support through committed institutions -- regardless of whether a national or international space agency is involved.At the 1st International GPM Ground Validation Workshop held in Abingdon, UK in November-2003, most of the basic tenants behind the development of the international GV network were identified and discussed. Therefore, with this progress in mind, this presentation is intended to put forth a strawman philosophical guide supporting the development of the international network of GPM GV sites, noting that the initial progress has been reported in the Proceedings of the 1st International GPM GV Workshop -- available online. The central philosophical issues themselves, all flow from the fact that each participating institution can only bring to the table, GV facilities and scientific personnel that are affordable to the sanctioning (funding) national agency (be that a research, research-support, or operational agency). This situation imposes on the network, heterogeneity in the measuring sensors, data collection periods, data collection procedures, data latencies, and data reporting capabilities. Therefore, in order for the network to be effective in supporting the central scientific goals of the GPM mission, there must be a basic agreed upon doctrine under which the network participants function vis-a-vis: (1) an overriding set of general scientific requirements, (2) a minimal set of policies governing the free flow of GV data between the scientific participants, (3) a few basic definitions concerning the prioritization of measurements and their respective value to the mission, (4) a few basic procedures concerning data formats, data reporting procedures, data access, and data archiving, and (5) a simple means to differentiate GV sites according to their level of effort and ability to perform near real-time data acquisition - data reporting tasks. Most important, in case they choose to operate as a near real-time data collection-data distribution site, they would be expected to operate under a fairly narrowly defined protocol needed to ensure smooth GV support operations. This presentation will suggest measures responsive to items (1) - (5) from which to proceed,. In addition, this presentation will seek to stimulate discussion and debate concerning how much heterogeneity is tolerable within the eventual GV site network, given that the any individual GV site can only be considered scientifically useful if it supports the achievement of the central GPM Mission goals. Only ground validation research that has a direct connection to the space mission should be considered justifiable given the overarching scientific goals of the mission. Therefore each site will have to seek some level of accommodation to what the GPM Mission requires in the way of retrieval error characterization, retrieval error detection and reporting, and generation of GV data products that support assessment and improvement of the mission's standard precipitation retrieval algorithms. These are all important scientific issues that will be best resolved in open scientific debate.

Smith, Eric A.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Electrospray Collection of Lunar Dust

A report describes ElectroSpray Ionization based Electrostatic Precipitation (ESIEP) for collecting lunar dust particles. While some HEPA filtration processes may remove a higher fraction (>99.9 percent) of the particles, the high efficiency may not be appropriate from an overall system standpoint, especially in light of the relatively large power requirement that such systems demand. The new electrospray particle capture technology is described as a variant of electrostatic precipitation that eliminates the current drawbacks of electrostatic precipitation. The new approach replaces corona prone field with a mist of highly charged micro-droplets generated by electrospray ionization (ESI) as the mechanism by which incoming particles are attracted and captured. In electrospray, a miniscule flow rate (microliters/minute) of liquid (typically water and a small amount of salt to enhance conductivity) is fed from the tip of a needle held at a high voltage potential relative to an opposite counter electrode. At sufficient field strength, a sharp liquid meniscus forms , which emits a jet of highly charged droplets that drift through the surrounding gas and are collected on the walls of a conductive tube. Particles in the gas have a high probability of contact with the droplets either by adhering to the droplets or otherwise acquiring a high level of charge, causing them to be captured on the collecting electrode as well. The spray acts as a filtration material that is continuously introduced and removed from the gas flow, and thus can never become clogged.

Dziekan, Michael↗
NASA NTRS2013

Flow Disturbance Measurements in the National Transonic Facility

Recent flow measurements have been acquired in the National Transonic Facility to assess the test-section unsteady flow environment. The primary purpose of the test is to determine the feasibility of the facility to conduct laminar-flow-control testing and boundary-layer transition-sensitive testing at flight-relevant operating conditions throughout the transonic Mach number range. The facility can operate in two modes, warm and cryogenic test conditions for testing full and semispan-scaled models. Data were acquired for Mach and unit Reynolds numbers ranging from 0.2 less than or equal to M less than or equal to 0.95 and 3.3 × 10(exp 6) less than Re/m less than 220×10(exp 6) collectively at air and cryogenic conditions. Measurements were made in the test section using a survey rake that was populated with 19 probes. Roll polar data at selected conditions were obtained to look at the uniformity of the flow disturbance field in the test section. Data acquired included mean total temperatures, mean and fluctuating static/total pressures, and mean and fluctuating hot-wire measurements. This paper focuses primarily on the unsteady pressure and hot-wire results. Based on the current measurements and previous data, an assessment was made that the facility may be a suitable facility for ground-based demonstrations of laminar-flow technologies at flight-relevant conditions in the cryogenic mode.

King, Rudolph A.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Remobilizing the Interfaces of Thermocapillary Driven Bubbles Retarded by the Adsorption of a Surfactant Impurity on the Bubble Surface

Thermocapillary migration is a method for moving bubbles in space in the absence of buoyancy. A temperature gradient is applied to the continuous phase in which a bubble is situated, and the applied gradient impressed on the bubble surface causes one pole of the drop to be cooler than the opposite pole. As the surface tension is a decreasing function of temperature, the cooler pole pulls at the warmer pole, creating a flow which propels the bubble in the direction of the warmer fluid. A major impediment to the practical use of thermocapillarity to direct the movement of bubbles in space is the fact that surfactant impurities which are unavoidably present in the continuous phase can significantly reduce the migration velocity. A surfactant impurity adsorbed onto the bubble interface is swept to the trailing end of the bubble. When bulk concentrations are low (which is the case with an impurity), diffusion of surfactant to the front end is slow relative to convection, and surfactant collects at the back end of the bubble. Collection at the back lowers the surface tension relative to the front end setting up a reverse tension gradient. For buoyancy driven bubble motions in the absence of a thermocapillarity, the tension gradient opposes the surface flow, and reduces the surface and terminal velocities (the interface becomes more solid-like). When thermocapillary forces are present, the reverse tension gradient set up by the surfactant accumulation reduces the temperature tension gradient, and decreases to near zero the thermocapillary velocity. The objective of our research is to develop a method for enhancing the thermocapillary migration of bubbles which have been retarded by the adsorption onto the bubble surface of a surfactant impurity, Our remobilization theory proposes to use surfactant molecules which kinetically rapidly exchange between the bulk and the surface and are at high bulk concentrations. Because the remobilizing surfactant is present at much higher concentrations than the impurity, it adsorbs to the bubble much faster than the impurity when the bubble is formed, and thereby prevents the impurity from adsorbing onto the surface. In addition the rapid kinetic exchange and high bulk concentration maintain a saturated surface with a uniform surface concentrations. This prevents retarding surface tension gradients and keeps the velocity high. In our first report last year, we detailed experimental results which verified the theory of remobilization in ground based experiments in which the steady velocity of rising bubbles was measured in a continuous phase consisting of a glycerol/water mixture containing a polyethylene glycol surfactant C12E6 (CH3(CH2)11(OCH2CH2)6OH). In our report this year, we detail our efforts to describe theoretically the remobilization observed. We construct a model in which a bubble rises steadily by buoyancy in a continuous (Newtonian) viscous fluid containing surfactant with a uniform far field bulk concentration. We account for the effects of inertia as well as viscosity in the flow in the continuous phase caused by the bubble motion (order one Reynolds number), and we assume that the bubble shape remains spherical (viscous and inertial forces are smaller than capillary forces, i e. small Weber and capillary numbers). The surfactant distribution is calculated by solving the mass transfer equations including convection and diffusion in the bulk, and finite kinetic exchange the bulk and the surface. Convective effects dominate diffusive mass transfer in the bulk of the liquid (high Peclet numbers) except in a thin boundary layer near the surface. A finite volume method is used to numerically solve the hydrodynamic and mass transfer equations on a staggered grid which accounts specifically for the thin boundary layer. We present the results of the nondimensional drag as a function of the bulk concentration of surfactant for different rates of kinetic exchange, from which we develop criteria for the concentration necessary to develop a prescribed degree of remobilization. The criteria compare favorably with the experimental results.

Palaparthi, Ravi↗
NASA NTRS1995

Urine Pretreat Injection System

A new method of introducing the OXONE (Registered Trademark) Monopersulfate Compound for urine pretreat into a two-phase urine/air flow stream has been successfully tested and evaluated. The feasibility of this innovative method has been established for purposes of providing a simple, convenient, and safe method of handling a chemical pretreat required for urine processing in a microgravity space environment. Also, the Oxone portion of the urine pretreat has demonstrated the following advantages during real time collection of 750 pounds of urine in a Space Station design two-phase urine Fan/Separator: Eliminated urine precipitate buildup on internal hardware and plumbing; Minimized odor from collected urine; and Virtually eliminated airborne bacteria. The urine pretreat, as presently defined for the Space Station program for proper downstream processing of urine, is a two-part chemical treatment of 5.0 grams of Oxone and 2.3 ml of H2SO4 per liter of urine. This study program and test demonstrated only the addition of the proper ratio of Oxone into the urine collection system upstream of the Fan/Separator. This program was divided into the following three major tasks: (1) A trade study, to define and recommend the type of Oxone injection method to pursue further; (2) The design and fabrication of the selected method; and (3) A test program using high fidelity hardware and fresh urine to demonstrate the method feasibility. The trade study was conducted which included defining several methods for injecting Oxone in different forms into a urine system. Oxone was considered in a liquid, solid, paste and powered form. The trade study and the resulting recommendation were presented at a trade study review held at Hamilton Standard on 24-25 October 94. An agreement was reached at the meeting to continue the solid tablet in a bag concept which included a series of tablets suspended in the urine/air flow stream. These Oxone tablets would slowly dissolve at a controlled rate providing the proper concentration in the collected urine. To implement the solid tablet in a bag approach, a design concept was completed with prototype drawings of the complete urine pretreat prefilter assembly. A successful fabrication technique was developed for retaining the Oxone tablets in a fabric casing attached to the end of the existing Space Station Waste Collection System urine prefilter assembly. The final pretreat prefilter configuration held sufficient Oxone in a tablet form to allow normal scheduled daily (or twice daily) change out of the urine filter depending on the use rate of the Space Station urine collection system. The actual tests to prove the concept were conducted using the Urine Fan/Separator assembly that was originally used in the STS-52 Design Test Objective (DTO) urinal assembly. Other related tests were conducted to demonstrate the actual minimum ratio of Oxone to urine that will control microbial growth.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1985

Improved aqueous scrubber for collection of soluble atmospheric trace gases

A new concentration technique for the extraction and enrichment of water-soluble atmospheric trace gases has been developed. The gas scrubbing technique efficiently extracts soluble gases from a large volume flow rate of air sample into a small volume of refluxed trapping solution. The gas scrubber utilizes a small nebulizing nozzle that mixes the incoming air with an aqueous extracting solution to form an air/droplet mist. The mist provides excellent interfacial surface areas for mass transfer. The resulting mist sprays upward through the reaction chamber until it impinges upon a hydrophobic membrane that virtually blocks the passage of droplets but offers little resistance to the existing gas flow. Droplets containing the scrubbed gases coalesce on the membrane and drip back into the reservoir for further refluxing. After a suitable concentration period, the extracting solution containing the analyte can be withdrawn for analysis. The nebulization-reflex concentration technique is more efficient (maximum flow of gas through the minimum volume of extractant) than conventional bubbler/impinger gas extraction techniques and is offered as an alternative method.

Cofer, W. R., III↗
NASA NTRS1977

Laboratory simulation of rocket-borne D-region blunt probe flows

The flow of weakly ionized plasmas that is similar to the flow that occurs over rocket-borne blunt probes as they pass through the lower ionosphere has been simulated in a scaled laboratory environment, and electron collection D region blunt probe theories have been evaluated.

Kaplan, L. B.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Power loss for high-voltage solar-cell arrays

Electric field particle collection and power loss are calculated in program written in FORTRAN IV for use on UNIVAC 1100/40 computer. Program incorporates positive and negative and negative charge flows and balance between positive and negative flows is performed by iteration.

Parker, L. W.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Enclosed capillary device for low gravity management of He II

To transfer He II in space, a large tank must be drained at low gravity. This paper describes and analyzes an enclosed gallery device designed for collecting and delivering He II to a pump. The device allows most of the liquid to move about in the tank while it maintains a liquid flow to the pump. Only the liquid in the screen-covered gallery channels and in the upper and lower receivers is contained. The device operates by providing surface tension dominated liquid paths from all locations within the tank to the lower receiver, which houses the pump. Since the fluid pressure in the channels may be below the saturated vapor pressure, an analysis of He II cavitation is performed to determine if cavitation will occur. The effect of heat dissipation from the pump is examined to determine if it may result in nucleation of boiling. It is concluded that this enclosed device can meet the requirements for transfer of He II under the predicted adverse accelerations that will be encountered on-orbit.

Frank, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Liquid sheet radiator apparatus

An external flow, liquid sheet radiator apparatus adapted for space applications has as its radiating surface a thin stable liquid sheet formed by fluid flow through a very narrow slit affixed to the sheet generator. As a result of surface tension forces, the sheet has a triangular shape and is collected into a simply designed collector positioned at the apex of the triangle. The specific power for the liquid sheet is virtually the same as the droplet sheet specific power.

Chubb, Donald L.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Current flow in a plasma caused by dielectric breakdown

Spacecraft with a thin dielectric coating on the outer surface of the structure which are biased (-200 V) negative relative to the atmospheric plasma are susceptible to dielectric breakdown. This paper will present experimental tests designed to measure the electron current flow from the structure through the plasma during the arc. The current path was examined in three parts: the electrons supplied through the structure and the arc to the outer structure, the expansion of the arc into the ambient plasma, and the return current through the ambient plasma. The measured electron current either flowing from the plasma or supplied to the plasma by the arc in each case was compared to the random thermal electron current which could be collected. The results of the tests show a spacecraft is capable of supporting arcs with peak currents greater than thermal electron currents, and these currents will be dependent upon the amount of stored charge in the structure (i.e., the structure's surface area and dielectric thickness). Also, the results of these tests show that it is possible for structures with a self capacitance of 10 microFarads to see peak currents of 90 A and structures with 1000 microFarads (i.e., capacitance of one Space Station Freedom module) to produce peak currents of 1000 A.

Vaughn, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Multiversion software reliability through fault-avoidance and fault-tolerance

In this project we have proposed to investigate a number of experimental and theoretical issues associated with the practical use of multi-version software in providing dependable software through fault-avoidance and fault-elimination, as well as run-time tolerance of software faults. In the period reported here we have working on the following: We have continued collection of data on the relationships between software faults and reliability, and the coverage provided by the testing process as measured by different metrics (including data flow metrics). We continued work on software reliability estimation methods based on non-random sampling, and the relationship between software reliability and code coverage provided through testing. We have continued studying back-to-back testing as an efficient mechanism for removal of uncorrelated faults, and common-cause faults of variable span. We have also been studying back-to-back testing as a tool for improvement of the software change process, including regression testing. We continued investigating existing, and worked on formulation of new fault-tolerance models. In particular, we have partly finished evaluation of Consensus Voting in the presence of correlated failures, and are in the process of finishing evaluation of Consensus Recovery Block (CRB) under failure correlation. We find both approaches far superior to commonly employed fixed agreement number voting (usually majority voting). We have also finished a cost analysis of the CRB approach.

Vouk, Mladen A.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Surface Texturing Investigated for a High Solar Absorptance Low Infrared Emittance Solar Collector

The objective of this work was to design, build, and vacuum test a high solar absorptance, low infrared emittance solar collector for heat engine and thermal switching applications. Mini-satellites proposed by the Applied Physics Laboratory for operation in environments that are subject to radiation threat may utilize a heat engine for power and a thermal bus for thermal control. To achieve this goal, a surface having high solar absorptance and low infrared emittance is needed. At the NASA Glenn Research Center, one concept being pursued to achieve this goal is texturing high thermal conductivity graphite epoxy composites using a directed atomic oxygen beam and then coating the textured surface with a reflective metallic coating. Coupons were successfully textured, coated, and evaluated. A variety of texturing conditions were explored, and textures were documented by scanning electron microscopy. Copper, gold, silver, iridium, and aluminum coatings were applied, and the highest solar absorptance to infrared emittance ratio was found to be 1.3. A full-sized solar collector was manufactured with this ratio, and the amount of heat collected was observed using an Inconel calorimeter installed in a bench-top vacuum chamber equipped with a solar simulator. Results to date indicate good heat flow through the system, with 9 W of heat flow measured by the calorimeter.

Jaworske, Donald A.↗
NASA NTRS2017

A Tool for the Automated Collection of Space Utilization Data: Three Dimensional Space Utilization Monitor

Space Human Factors and Habitability (SHFH) Element within the Human Research Program (HRP) and the Behavioral Health and Performance (BHP) Element are conducting research regarding Net Habitable Volume (NHV), the internal volume within a spacecraft or habitat that is available to crew for required activities, as well as layout and accommodations within the volume. NASA needs methods to unobtrusively collect NHV data without impacting crew time. Data required includes metrics such as location and orientation of crew, volume used to complete tasks, internal translation paths, flow of work, and task completion times. In less constrained environments methods exist yet many are obtrusive and require significant post-processing. Examplesused in terrestrial settings include infrared (IR) retro-reflective marker based motion capture, GPS sensor tracking, inertial tracking, and multi-camera methods Due to constraints of space operations many such methods are infeasible. Inertial tracking systems typically rely upon a gravity vector to normalize sensor readings,and traditional IR systems are large and require extensive calibration. However, multiple technologies have not been applied to space operations for these purposes. Two of these include: 3D Radio Frequency Identification Real-Time Localization Systems (3D RFID-RTLS) Depth imaging systems which allow for 3D motion capture and volumetric scanning (such as those using IR-depth cameras like the Microsoft Kinect or Light Detection and Ranging / Light-Radar systems, referred to as LIDAR)

Vos, Gordon A.↗