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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 721 records · Page 40
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1987

Flight investigation of the effect of tail configuration on stall, spin, and recovery characteristics of a low-wing general aviation research airplane

Flight tests were performed to investigate the stall, spin, and recovery characteristics of a low-wing, single-engine, light airplane with four interchangeable tail configurations. The four tail configurations were evaluated for effects of varying mass distribution, center-of-gravity position, and control inputs. The airplane tended to roll-off at the stall. Variations in tail configuration produced spins ranging from 40 deg to 60 deg angle of attack and turn rates of about 145 to 208 deg/sec. Some unrecoverable flat spins were encountered which required use of the airplane spin chute for recovery. For recoverable spins, antispin rudder followed by forward wheel with ailerons centered provided the quickest spin recovery. The moderate spin modes agreed very well with those predicted from spin-tunnel model tests, however, the flat spin was at a lower angle of attack and a slower rotation rate than indicated by the model tests.

Stough, H. Paul, III↗
NASA NTRS1994

Effects of Growth Hormone/IGF-I and Exercise on Unloaded Bones

Growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in combination with exercise prevent muscle atrophy induced by unloading in the tail-suspension rat model for space flight (Gosselink et al, FASEB J 1994). This study evaluated the effects of these treatments on bone. Hypophysectomized rats were suspended (S) and treated with 1mg/kg/day CH plus IGF-I (H) or vehicle (Sal) daily by injection and exercised (Ex) by 3 climbs up a 1m ladder carrying a load equal to 30% the initial body weight (BW) 3x/day for 10 days. Tibial epiphysis (Epi) widths were measured by micrometry and femoral Bone Mineral Content (fBMC) in excised femurs by DEXA (Lunar DPX-L). Serum calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (Pi) were measured by COBAS Autoanalyzer (Roche Diag.). Ambulatory (Amb)-H treated rats showed growth rates of 6.6+-0.9 g/day, similar to S-H-Ex and higher than S-H (3.210.6, p less than 0.05) and S-Sal (-0.711.0, p less than 0.05). Epi widths were 10% lower in S-Sal, and S-Sal-Ex, and increased 100% in all H groups. fBMC was less in S than Amb, only when all S groups are compared to both Amb groups (p less than 0.03). H treatment increased fBMC (p less than 0.05) but reduced fBMC/100g BW in all H groups (p less than 0.001). The reduced density of H bone cannot be attributed to low circulating Ca. and Pi since they were higher in H than Sal (p less than 0.001). H treatment for 10 days in doses sufficient to support normal growth in BW failed to produce normal Epi widths or fBMC, even when combined with exercise. The suspension effect observed in Epi widths was not corrected by H or Ex alone, but was improved by H plus a This regimen. although effective in preventing muscle atrophy, failed to return bone measures, Epi widths and fBMC, to normal.

Harper, J. S.↗
NASA NTRS1965

Space vacuum investigations

Inaccessible-Non Repairable- Costly: The meaning of these words is absolute in the event of a complete failure of an orbiting spacecraft. Adequate design, or rather, minimizing chance of failure, challenges all scientists and engineers. Where experience has not been developed, the risk involved in a new application must be weighed against the consequence of a design failure. In space work, the spectrum of consequence is extremely wide. It ranges from loss of scientific data on one hand, to loss of life on the other.. There is little question that knowledge of the space environment and its effects must be determined to produce reliable spacecraft. Tests to prove the design must be performed with equipment capable of simulating the effects of the environment in which the design is to operate. This does not necessarily mean that the natural environment must be duplicated. The degree of environmental simulation that should be achieved depends primarily upon the significance of the physical effects it causes. The purpose of space vacuum simulation in an environmental test program should be accurately conceived and the testing phased to obtain maximum information from the limited samples available for test. This discussion is confined to some of the factors involved in simulating the effects of space vacuum environment. This survey is by no means complete, but will touch on some of the highlights in this field: 1. A description of the environment 2. The level of simulation necessary to evaluate its effects 3. Test equipment capability 4. Experience in test 5. Experience in orbit 6. Observations & future emphasis

VACUUM EFFECT↗
NASA NTRS1972

Solid lubricants: A survey

A survey is presented of the most recent developments and trends in the field of solid lubrication. Topics discussed include: a history of solid lubrication, lubricating solids, bonded lubricants, new developments, methods of evaluation, environmental effects, application methods, novel materials, and designs for the use of solid lubricants. Excerpts of solid lubricant specifications and a discussion of contact stresses imposed on specimens in three types of test machines used for the evaluation of solid lubricants are presented.

Campbell, M. E.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Impact tests on fibrous composite sandwich structures

The effect of low velocity impact on the strength of laminates fabricated from graphite/epoxy and Kevlar 49/epoxy composite materials was studied. The test laminates were loaded statically either in uniaxial tension or compression when impact occurred to evaluate the effect of loading on the initiation of damage and/or failure. Typical aircraft service conditions such as runway debris encountered during landing were simulated by impacting 1.27-cm-diameter projectiles normal to the plane of the test laminates at velocities between 5.2 and 48.8 m/s.

Rhodes, M. D.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Hygrothermal influence on delamination behavior of graphite/epoxy laminates

The hygrothermal effect on the fracture behavior of graphite-epoxy laminates was investigated to develop a methodology for damage tolerance predictions in advanced composite materials. Several T300/934 laminates were tested using a number of specimen configurations to evaluate the effects of temperature and humidity on delamination fracture toughness under mode 1 and mode 2 loading. It is indicated that moisture has a slightly beneficial influence on fracture toughness or critical strain energy release rate during mode 1 delamination, but has a slightly deleterious effect on mode 2 delamination and mode 1 transverse cracking. The failed specimens are examined by SEM and topographical differences due to fracture modes are identified. It is concluded that the effect of moisture on fracture topography can not be distinguished.

Garg, A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Hygrothermal influence on delamination behavior of graphite/epoxy laminates

The hygrothermal effect on the fracture behavior of graphite-epoxy laminates was investigated to develop a methodology for damage tolerance predictions in advanced composite materials. Several T300/934 laminates were tested using a number of specimen configurations to evaluate the effects of temperature and humidity on delamination fracture toughness under mode 1 and mode 2 loading. It is indicated that moisture has a slightly beneficial influence on fracture toughness or critical strain energy release rate during mode 1 delamination, but has a slightly deleterious effect on mode 2 delamination, and mode 1 transverse cracking. The failed specimens are examined by SEM and topographical differences due to fracture modes are identified. It is concluded that the effect of moisture on fracture topography can not be distinguished.

Garg, A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Prediction of the ullage gas thermal stratification in a NASP vehicle propellant tank experimental simulation using FLOW-3D

As part of the National Aero-Space Plane (NASP) project, the multi-dimensional effects of gravitational force, initial tank pressure, initial ullage temperature, and heat transfer rate on the 2-D temperature profiles were studied. FLOW-3D, a commercial finite difference fluid flow model, was used for the evaluation. These effects were examined on the basis of previous liquid hydrogen experimental data with gaseous hydrogen pressurant. FLOW-3D results were compared against an existing 1-D model. In addition, the effects of mesh size and convergence criteria on the analytical results were investigated. Suggestions for future modifications and uses of FLOW-3D for modeling of a NASP tank are also presented.

Hardy, Terry L.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Statistical evaluation of thermal advection and stratification effects in scatterometer observations

The effects of thermal advection and atmospheric stratification are statistically evaluated using Seasat scatterometer observations as a data base. The results indicate that, whenever the surface winds or wind stress are related to the atmospheric pressure field, the appropriate stratification and baroclinic corrections should be applied. Without such corrections, errors of 15-25 percent are likely to arise in the surface fluxes computed from model low-level winds or pressure measurements.

Levy, Gad↗
NASA NTRS1992

Performance of thermal control tape in the protection of composite materials

The selection of materials for construction of long duration mission spacecraft has presented many challenges to the aerospace design community. After nearly six years in low earth orbit, NASA's Long duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), retrieved in January of 1990, has provided valuable information on both the nature of the space environment as well as the effects of the space environment on potential spacecraft materials. Composites, long a favorite of the design community because of a high strength-to-weight ratio, were flown in various configurations on LDEF in order to evaluate the effects of radiation, atomic oxygen, vacuum, micrometeoroid debris, and thermal variation on their performance. Fiberglass composite samples covered with an aluminum thermal control tape were flown as part of the flight experiment A0171, the Solar Array Materials Passive LDEF Experiment (SAMPLE). Visual observations and test results indicate that the thermal control tape suffered little degradation from the space exposure and proved to be a reliable source of protection from atomic oxygen erosion and UV radiation for the underlying composite material.

Kamenetzky, Rachel R.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Long Term Effects of Poultry Litter on Soil Physical and Chemical Properties in Cotton Plots

Poultry litter and compost can alter the moisture holding capacity of a soil. These organic materials can also increase the nutrient status of a soil during the decomposition process by microbial actions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of poultry litter and compost on the dielectric constant and moisture holding capacity of soil. The Delta-T theta-probe was used to measure volumetric soil water content and the apparent dielectric constant of the upper 6-cm of the soil profile. Soil texture, pH, and organic matter were also determined for each plot. Results of these analyses indicated that the pH of the soil ranged from 6.4 to 7.7 and the volumetric soil moisture content ranged from 0.06 to 0.18 cu m/cu m for the upper 6-cm of the soil profile. The effect of poultry litter and compost on soil properties resulted in an increase in the volumetric moisture content and dielectric constant of the soil due to the improvement of the soil structure.

Surrency, J.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Shear flow beneath oceanic plates - Local nonsimilarity boundary layers for olivine rheology

The principle of local similarity, which has been used to model the two-dimensional boundary layers in the oceanic upper mantle, permits calculation of the temperature, velocity, and stress fields with essentially analytic techniques. Finite difference numerical methods are hard pressed to resolve the detail required by the large variation of viscosity between the lithosphere and the asthenosphere. In this paper the local similarity approximation has been justified by quantitatively evaluating the effect of nonsimilarity due to viscous heating, nonlinear temperature- and pressure-dependent rheology, buoyancy, adiabatic cooling, etc. Nonsimilar effects produce only small modifications of the locally similar boundary layers; important geophysical observables such as surface heat flux and ocean floor topography are given to better than 10 percent by the locally similar solution. A posteriori evaluations of the terms neglected in the boundary layer simplification of the complete equations have been conducted on the locally similar temperature and velocity profiles close to the spreading ridge. The boundary layer models are valid to depths of 100 km at 3 m.y. and 10 km at 0.3 m.y.

Yuen, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1977

The effect of increased gravitational stress on bone

A group of 34 adult male chickens were chronically accelerated over an 18-week period; for the last 4 weeks the surviving animals were subjected to a 3-g field. Males of a similar weight and age were used as static controls. The objective was to evaluate the effects of an altered gravitational state on the physical properties of the tibia bone tested for torsional fracture. Of the 34 initial animals, 15 survived for the entire period and were subjected to analysis. The results suggest that the altered morphology produced by increased gravitational fields does not materially affect bone strength, at least in torsion. Decreased bone diameters were accompanied by increased cortical thickness without change in the bone resistance to torsion. The findings of increased cortical thickness with decreased bone diameter suggest reversal of the usual cellular dynamics of adult bone. Data on bone ash and density failed to reveal any substantial changes in bone mineral or organic content. Histological examination of the cortical bone did not disclose any evidence of pathology.

Riggins, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Configuration Effects on Liner Performance

The acoustic performance of a duct liner depends not only on the intrinsic properties of the liner but also on the configuration of the duct in which it is used. A series of experiments is performed in the NASA Langley Research Center Curved Duct Test Rig (at Mach 0.275) to evaluate the effect of duct configuration on the acoustic performance of single degree of freedom perforate-over-honeycomb liners. The liners form the sidewalls of the duct's test section. Variations of duct configuration include: asymmetric (liner on one side and hard wall opposite) and symmetric (liner on both sides) wall treatment; inlet and exhaust orientation, in which the sound propagates either against or with the flow; and straight and curved flow path. The effect that duct configuration has on the overall acoustic performance, particularly the shift in frequency and magnitude of peak attenuation, is quantified. The redistribution of incident mode content is shown. The liners constitute the side walls of the liner test section and the scatter of incident horizontal order 1 mode by the asymmetric treatment and order 2 mode by the symmetric treatment into order 0 mode is shown. Scatter of order 0 incident modes into higher order modes is also shown. This redistribution of mode content is significant because it indicates that the liner design can be manipulated such that energy is scattered into more highly attenuated modes, thus enhancing liner performance.

Gerhold, Carl H.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Correlation of data related to shock-induced trailing-edge separation and extrapolation to flight Reynolds number

Pressure data from a number of previous wind tunnel and flight investigations of high speed transport type wings were analyzed with the intent of developing a procedure for extrapolating low Reynolds number data to flight conditions. These analyses produced a correlation of the development of trailing-edge separation resulting from increases in Mach number and/or angle of attack and show that scale effects on this correlated separation development and the resulting shock location changes fall into a regular and apparently universal pattern. Further studies appear warranted to refine the correlation through a detailed consideration of boundary layer characteristics, and to evaluate scale effects on supercritical wings.

Cahill, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Development of improved high pressure turbine outer gas path seal components

A plasma sprayed graded layered ceramic/metallic (ZrO2/CoCrAlY) seal was evaluated for JT9D turbine application by rig and engine tests. Four cyclic thermal shock rig tests were conducted during the program. Three completed 1000 simulated engine thermal cycle tests and the fourth completed 500 cycles without severe cracking or spalling. Three ceramic seals were installed in a JT9D experimental engine to evaluate the effect of the engine thermal environment on the seals. All three seals completed the test successfully without severe cracking or spalling. The three seals did have slight laminar cracks at the 85/15-40/60 ZrO2/CoCrAlY interface. The second engine test evaluated the rub capabilities of the seal. Six ceramic seals were installed in the engine with fourteen abrasive tip blades. Three of the six seals rubbed to a depth of 24 mils. Eight of the fourteen abrasive tip blades showed evidence of wear. Three of the eight blades wore a maximum of five mils. Engine rub test results demonstrated the potential of reducing turbine clearances and thereby improving engine performance by use of sprayed ceramic seals.

Shiembob, L. T.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Waveguiding and Dispersion Properties of Interband Cascade Laser Frequency Combs

Mid-infrared semiconductor lasers have emerged as indispensable compact coherent sources for military and commercial applications. While much of the historical emphasis has been on maximizing the output power and/or spectral purity, a recent new focus has been on engineering these lasers to operate as optical frequency combs (OFCs) for broadband real-time spectroscopy. In particular, the combination of low-drive-power and broad gain bandwidth has made interband cascade laser (ICL) OFCs an attractive complement to quantum cascade laser OFCs operating at longer wavelengths. Moreover, ICL combs can potentially be incorporated into fully-integrated dual-comb spectrometers that employ fast, room-temperature IC photodetectors processed on the same chip.However, the high refractive index of the ICL’s GaSb substrate poses some challenges to the optical waveguiding. Because the modal index is considerably lower than that of the substrate, the optical field can penetrate the bottom cladding layer and leak into the GaSb, inducing wavelength-dependent interference that modifies the gain and group velocity dispersion (GVD) profiles. Even when the effect on lasing threshold is small, the comb properties can be adversely affected. Using the sub-threshold Fourier transform technique, we studied ICL combs with various ridge widths, substrate thicknesses, and center wavelengths. This allowed us to evaluate the effects of modal leakage on the GVD. We find that the resonant nature of the substrate modes induces oscillations, which affect both the spectral bandwidth and the phase-locking properties above threshold. Strategies to mitigate the GVD’s undesired and unpredictable spectral variation will be presented.

Meyer, J. R↗
NASA NTRS2013

Quantitative Infrared Image Analysis Of Simultaneous Upstream and Downstream Microgravity Flame Spread over Thermally-Thin Cellulose in Low Speed Forced Flow

The effect of low velocity forced flow on microgravity flame spread is examined using quantitative analysis of infrared video imaging. The objective of the quantitative analysis is to provide insight into the mechanisms of flame spread in microgravity where the flame is able to spread from a central location on the fuel surface, rather than from an edge. Surface view calibrated infrared images of ignition and flame spread over a thin cellulose fuel were obtained along with a color video of the surface view and color images of the edge view using 35 mm color film at 2 Hz. The cellulose fuel samples were mounted in the center of a 12 cm wide by 16 cm tall flow duct and were ignited in microgravity using a straight hot wire across the center of the 7.5 cm wide by 14 cm long samples. Four cases, at 1 atm. 35%O2 in N2, at forced flows from 2 cm/s to 20 cm/s are presented here. This flow range captures flame spread from strictly upstream spread at low flows, to predominantly downstream spread at high flow. Surface temperature profiles are evaluated as a function of time, and temperature gradients for upstream and downstream flame spread are measured. Flame spread rates from IR image data are compared to visible image spread rate data. IR blackbody temperatures are compared to surface thermocouple readings to evaluate the effective emissivity of the pyrolyzing surface. Preheat lengths and pyrolysis lengths are evaluated both upstream and downstream of the central ignition point. A surface energy balance estimates the net heat flux from the flame to the fuel surface along the length of the fuel. Surface radiative loss and gas-phase radiation from soot are measured relative to the net heat feedback from the flame. At high surface heat loss relative to heat feedback, the downstream flame spread does not occur.

Olson, S. L.↗