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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 73 records · Page 4

Global Seasonal Climatologies of Ocean Chlorophyll: Blending In situ and Satellite Data for the CZCS Era

The historical archives of in situ (National Oceanographic Data Center) and satellite (Coastal Zone Color Scanner) chlorophyll data were combined using the blended analysis method of Reynolds [1988] in an attempt to construct an improved climatological seasonal representation of global chlorophyll distributions. The results of the blended analysis differed dramatically from the CZCS representation: global chlorophyll estimates increased 8-35% in the blended analysis depending upon season. Regional differences were even larger, up to 140% in the equatorial Indian Ocean in summer (during the southwest monsoon). Tropical Pacific chlorophyll values increased 25-41%. The results suggested that the CZCS generally underestimates chlorophyll. Regional and seasonal differences in the blended analysis were sufficiently large as to produce a different representation of global chlorophyll distributions than otherwise inferred from CZCS data alone. Analyses of primary production and biogeochemical cycles may be substantially impacted by these results.

Gregg, Watson W.↗

Reduction and Analysis of Phosphor Thermography Data With the IHEAT Software Package

Detailed aeroheating information is critical to the successful design of a thermal protection system (TPS) for an aerospace vehicle. This report describes NASA Langley Research Center's (LaRC) two-color relative-intensity phosphor thermography method and the IHEAT software package which is used for the efficient data reduction and analysis of the phosphor image data. Development of theory is provided for a new weighted two-color relative-intensity fluorescence theory for quantitatively determining surface temperatures on hypersonic wind tunnel models; an improved application of the one-dimensional conduction theory for use in determining global heating mappings; and extrapolation of wind tunnel data to flight surface temperatures. The phosphor methodology at LaRC is presented including descriptions of phosphor model fabrication, test facilities and phosphor video acquisition systems. A discussion of the calibration procedures, data reduction and data analysis is given. Estimates of the total uncertainties (with a 95% confidence level) associated with the phosphor technique are shown to be approximately 8 to 10 percent in the Langley's 31-Inch Mach 10 Tunnel and 7 to 10 percent in the 20-Inch Mach 6 Tunnel. A comparison with thin-film measurements using two-inch radius hemispheres shows the phosphor data to be within 7 percent of thin-film measurements and to agree even better with predictions via a LATCH computational fluid dynamics solution (CFD). Good agreement between phosphor data and LAURA CFD computations on the forebody of a vertical takeoff/vertical lander configuration at four angles of attack is also shown. In addition, a comparison is given between Mach 6 phosphor data and laminar and turbulent solutions generated using the LAURA, GASP and LATCH CFD codes. Finally, the extrapolation method developed in this report is applied to the X-34 configuration with good agreement between the phosphor extrapolation and LAURA flight surface temperature predictions. The phosphor process outlined in the paper is believed to provide the aerothermodynamic community with a valuable capability for rapidly obtaining (4 to 5 weeks) detailed heating information needed in TPS design.

Merski, N. Ronald↗

Color Changing Material for Hydrogen Leak Detection

Kennedy Space Center scientists developed a hydrogen leak sensor utilizing a combination of chemochromic pigment and polymer that can be molded or fiber spun into rigid or flexible shapes such as tape. The sensor turns a dark color when exposed to hydrogen gas. This sensor has proven to be very effective for pinpointing the exact location of leaks in hydrogen gas lines and fittings at launch pads. Kennedy Space Center exclusively licensed this technology to the University of Central Florida (UCF), who also holds patents that are complimentary to KSC's. UCF has bundled the patents and exclusively licensed the portfolio to HySense Technology LLC, a startup company founded by a UCF professor who supports the UCF Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC). HySense has fully developed its product (known as Intellipigment"TM"), and currently has five commercial customers. The company recently won the $100,000 first-place award at the CAT5 innovation competition at the Innovation Concourse of the Southeast: Safety & Manufacturing event in Orlando, FL. Commercial production and sales of this technology by HySense Technology will make this leak sensor widely available for use by NASA, DoD, and industries that utilize hydrogen gas.

Material for Hyrogen↗

Modeling new production in upwelling centers - A case study of modeling new production from remotely sensed temperature and color

A method has been developed for estimating new production in upwelling systems from remotely sensed surface temperatures. A shift-up model predicts the rate of adaptation of nitrate uptake. The time base for the production cycle is obtained from a knowledge of surface heating rates and differences in temperature between the point of upwelling and each pixel. Nitrate concentrations are obtained from temperature-nitrate regression equations. The model was developed for the northwest Africa upwelling region, where shipboard measurements of new production were available. It can be employed in two modes, the first using only surface temperatures, and the second in which CZCS color data are incorporated. The major advance offered by this method is the capability to estimate new production on spatial and time scales inaccessible with shipboard approaches.

Dugdale, Richard C.↗

Analog FM/FM versus digital color TV transmission aboard space station

Langley Research Center is developing an integrated fault tolerant network to support data, voice, and video communications aboard Space Station. The question of transmitting the video data via dedicated analog channels or converting it to the digital domain for consistancy with the test of the data is addressed. The recommendations in this paper are based on a comparison in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the type of video processing required aboard Space Station, the applicability to Space Station, and how they integrate into the network.

Hart, M. M.↗

Management Information System

New Automated Management Information Center (AMIC) employs innovative microcomputer techniques to create color charts, viewgraphs, or other data displays in a fraction of the time formerly required. Developed under Kennedy Space Center's contract by Boeing Services International Inc., Seattle, WA, AMIC can produce an entirely new informational chart in 30 minutes, or an updated chart in only five minutes. AMIC also has considerable potential as a management system for business firms.

Source record↗

The Ocean Color Instrument Performance Summary

Overview: 1. Calibration equation, GSD, IFOV, FoR, B2B registration 2. Center wavelengths, spectral sampling, OOB 3. SNR, RVS, polarization, linearity 4. Straylight/crosstalk, temperature sensitivity 5. Striping, absolute gain, Gain trending, spectral on-orbit trending (measurements during tilt) 6. SWIR band hysteresis correction, SPCA measurements

PACE↗

Subtropical Gyre Variability Observed by Ocean Color Satellites

The subtropical gyres of the world are extensive, coherent regions that occupy about 40% of the surface of the earth. Once thought to be homogeneous and static habitats, there is increasing evidence that mid-latitude gyres exhibit substantial physical and biological variability on a variety of time scales. While biological productivity within these oligotrophic regions may be relatively small, their immense size makes their total contribution significant. Global distributions of dynamic height derived from satellite altimeter data, and chlorophyll concentration derived from satellite ocean color data, show that the dynamic center of the gyres, the region of maximum dynamic height where the thermocline is deepest, does not coincide with the region of minimum chlorophyll concentration. The physical and biological processes by which this distribution of ocean properties is maintained, and the spatial and temporal scales of variability associated with these processes, are analyzed using global surface chlorophyll-a concentrations, sea surface height, sea surface temperature and surface winds from operational satellite and meteorological sources, and hydrographic data from climatologies and individual surveys. Seasonal and interannual variability in the areal extent of the subtropical gyres are examined using 8 months (November 1996 - June 1997) of OCTS and nearly 5 years (September 1997 - June 02) of SeaWiFS ocean color data and are interpreted in the context of climate variability and measured changes in other ocean properties (i.e., wind forcing, surface currents, Ekman pumping, and vertical mixing). The North Pacific and North Atlantic gyres are observed to be shrinking over this period, while the South Pacific, South Atlantic, and South Indian Ocean gyres appear to be expanding.

McClain, Charles R.↗

Digital storage and analysis of color Doppler echocardiograms

Color Doppler flow mapping has played an important role in clinical echocardiography. Most of the clinical work, however, has been primarily qualitative. Although qualitative information is very valuable, there is considerable quantitative information stored within the velocity map that has not been extensively exploited so far. Recently, many researchers have shown interest in using the encoded velocities to address the clinical problems such as quantification of valvular regurgitation, calculation of cardiac output, and characterization of ventricular filling. In this article, we review some basic physics and engineering aspects of color Doppler echocardiography, as well as drawbacks of trying to retrieve velocities from video tape data. Digital storage, which plays a critical role in performing quantitative analysis, is discussed in some detail with special attention to velocity encoding in DICOM 3.0 (medical image storage standard) and the use of digital compression. Lossy compression can considerably reduce file size with minimal loss of information (mostly redundant); this is critical for digital storage because of the enormous amount of data generated (a 10 minute study could require 18 Gigabytes of storage capacity). Lossy JPEG compression and its impact on quantitative analysis has been studied, showing that images compressed at 27:1 using the JPEG algorithm compares favorably with directly digitized video images, the current goldstandard. Some potential applications of these velocities in analyzing the proximal convergence zones, mitral inflow, and some areas of future development are also discussed in the article.

NASA Discipline Cardiopulmonary↗

Application of color Doppler flow mapping to calculate orifice area of St Jude mitral valve

BACKGROUND: The effective orifice area (EOA) of a prosthetic valve is superior to transvalvular gradients as a measure of valve function, but measurement of mitral prosthesis EOA has not been reliable. METHODS AND RESULTS: In vitro flow across St Jude valves was calculated by hemispheric proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA) and segment-of-spheroid (SOS) methods. For steady and pulsatile conditions, PISA and SOS flows correlated with true flow, but SOS and not PISA underestimated flow. These principles were then used intraoperatively to calculate cardiac output and EOA of newly implanted St Jude mitral valves in 36 patients. Cardiac output by PISA agreed closely with thermodilution (r=0.91, Delta=-0.05+/-0.55 L/min), but SOS underestimated it (r=0.82, Delta=-1.33+/-0.73 L/min). Doppler EOAs correlated with Gorlin equation estimates (r=0.75 for PISA and r=0.68 for SOS, P<0.001) but were smaller than corresponding in vitro EOA estimates. CONCLUSIONS: Proximal flow convergence methods can calculate forward flow and estimate EOA of St Jude mitral valves, which may improve noninvasive assessment of prosthetic mitral valve obstruction.

NASA Discipline Cardiopulmonary↗

Direct-detection optical communication with color coded pulse position modulation signaling

The performance characteristics of a direct-detection optical communication system which is based on a laser transmitter which produces single light pulses at selected nonoverlapping optical center frequencies are discussed. The signal format, called color coded pulse position modulation (CCPPM), uses more of the total available response bandwidth characteristics of the photodetector than does ordinary PPM signaling. The advantages of CCPPM signaling are obtained at the expense of an increased optical bandwidth of the transmitted signal and a more complicated transmitter and receiver structure. When the signal format is used in conjunction with block length Reed-Solomon codes, high data rates and reliable high-speed optical communications under conditions of optimal energy efficiency are obtained.

Davidson, F.↗

One-stage model for color conversion.

Description of a one-stage approximation to the color-conversion model of Richards and Parks (1971). The modified model proposes three channels for color vision, each with different center-surround sensitivities. In its strongest form, the model predicts that the gain-setting control that alters the sensitivities of each channel is solely a function of achromatic contrast.

Richards, W.↗

Optical communication with laser diode arrays

The performance of a direct-detection optical communication system in which the laser transmitter sends short optical pulses of selected nonoverlapping center frequencies is analysed. This modulation format, in which a single light pulse is sent in one of M time slots at one of N optical center frequencies, is referred to as color coded optical pulse position modulation (CCPPM). The optimum energy-efficiency of this system, as measured by the channel capacity in nats per photon, exceeds that of ordinary optical pulse position modulation which uses a pulsed laser of fixed optical frequency. Reliable communication at optimal energy efficiency is easily achieved through the use of modest block length Reed-Solomon codes with the code words represented as CCPPM symbols.

Davidson, F.↗

IRAS 18333-2357 - An unusual source in M22

The present paper is concerned with a search for IRAS sources positionally associated with globular clusters. This search revealed a strong source with unusual infrared colors, IRAS 18333-2357, near the center of M22. M22 (NGC 6566) is a bright, nearby, metal-poor globular cluster. Attention is given to the observations, the mass and luminosity of IRAS 18333-2357, the mass-loss rate, and the nature of IRAS 18333-2357. It is concluded that IRAS 18333-2357 may possibly be a bipolar nebula similar to OH 0739-14 although element abundance arguments appear to favor a carbon-rich rather than oxygen-rich shell.

Gillett, F. C.↗

Dust and molecular properties of the low-opacity cloud Lynds 1563

Optical, molecular, and far-infrared data are analyzed for L1563, estimated peak Ab 2.5 mag. The cloud is detected by IRAS at 12, 25, 60, and 100 microns, and with CO, (C-13)O, and H2CO molecules. A column density comparison yields an estimate of the temperature of the classical dust grains of 15.6 + or - 1 K, while the color temperature derived from the ratio I(60)/I(100) is 26 K. Both dust and color temperatures decrease toward the cloud center.

Clark, Frank O.↗

Shear-Sensitive Liquid Crystal Coating Method Applied Through Transparent Test Surfaces

Research conducted at NASA Ames Research Center has shown that the color-change response of a shear-sensitive liquid crystal coating (SSLCC) to aerodynamic shear depends on both the magnitude of the local shear vector and its direction relative to the observer's in-plane line of sight. In conventional applications, the surface of the SSLCC exposed to aerodynamic shear is illuminated with white light from the normal direction and observed from an oblique above-plane view angle of order 30 deg. In this top-light/top-view mode, shear vectors with components directed away from the observer cause the SSLCC to exhibit color-change responses. At any surface point, the maximum color change (measured from the no-shear red or orange color) always occurs when the local vector is aligned with, and directed away from, the observer. The magnitude of the color change at this vector-observer-aligned orientation scales directly with shear stress magnitude. Conversely, any surface point exposed to a shear vector with a component directed toward the observer exhibits a non-color-change response, always characterized by a rusty-red or brown color, independent of both shear magnitude and direction. These unique, highly directional color-change responses of SSLCCs to aerodynamic shear allow for the full-surface visualization and measurement of continuous shear stress vector distributions. The objective of the present research was to investigate application of the SSLCC method through a transparent test surface. In this new back-light/back-view mode, the exposed surface of the SSLCC would be subjected to aerodynamic shear stress while the contact surface between the SSLCC and the solid, transparent wall would be illuminated and viewed in the same geometrical arrangement as applied in conventional applications. It was unknown at the outset whether or not color-change responses would be observable from the contact surface of the SSLCC, and, if seen, how these color-change responses might relate to those observed in standard practice.

Reda, Daniel C.↗