Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “installations”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 739 records · Page 41
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1987

Support of the eight-foot high-temperature tunnel modifications project

An ultrasonic level sensor was developed to measure the liquid level in a storage vessel under high pressures, namely up to 6000 psi. The sensor is described. A prototype sensor was installed in the cooling-water storage vessel of the Eight-Foot High-Temperature Tunnel. Plans are being made to install the readout instrument in the control room, so that tunnel operators can monitor the water level during the course of a tunnel run. It was discovered that the sensor will operate at cryogenic temperatures. Consequently, a sensor will be installed in the modified Eight-Foot High-Temperature Tunnel to measure the sound speed of liquid oxygen (LOX) as it is transferred from a storage vessel to the tunnel combustor at pressure of about 3000 psi. The sound speed is known to be a reliable indicator of contamination of LOX by pressurized gaseous nitrogen, which will be used to effect the transfer. Subjecting the sensor to a temperature cycle from room temperature to liquid nitrogen temperature and back again several times revealed no deterioration in sensor performance. The method using this sensor is superior to the original method, which was to bleed samples of LOX from the storage vessel to an independent chamber for measurement of the sound speed.

Hodges, Donald Y.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The meteorological measurement system on the NASA ER-2 aircraft

A Meteorological Measurement System (MMS) was designed for the high-altitude ER-2 aircraft (NASA 706). Through dedicated instrumentation installed on the aircraft and repeated calibrations, the MMS provides accurate in situ measurements of free-stream pressure, temperature, and the wind vector. The MMS has participated in two major high-altitude scientific expeditions, the Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange Project (STEP) based in northern Australia and the Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment (AAOE) based in southern Chile. Key MMS subsystems are described. The MMS consists of a dedicated inertial navigation system (INS), a randome differential pressure system, a data acquisition system, and air data instrumentation. The MMS incorporates a high-resolution INS (Litton LIN-72RH model), which is specially configured and is updated at 25 Hz. The differential pressure system, consisting of two sets of pressure ports and transducers, is installed in the ER-2 radome to provide sensitive measurements of the airflow angles (angle of attack and angle of sideslip). The data acquisition system was designed to meet aircraft requirements of compactness and light weight (2 cu ft 50 lb) and for MMS requirements to sample, control, process, and store 45 parameters (some redundant) at a sampling rate up to 10 Hz. The MMS data are stored both in a tape recorder (20 MB) and a hermatically-sealed winchester hard disc (10 MB). Special and redundant instrumentation for temperature and pressure measurements were also installed on the aircraft.

Scott, Stan G.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Successful expert systems for space shuttle payload integration

Expert systems are successfully applied to solve recurring NASA Space Shuttle orbiter payload integration problems. Recurrence of these problems is the result of each Space Shuttle mission being unique. The NASA Space Shuttle orbiter was designed to be extremely flexible in its ability to handle many types and combinations of satellites and experiments. This flexibility results in different and unique engineering resource requirements for each of the payload satellites and experiments. The first successful expert system to be applied to these problems was the Orbiter Payload Bay Cabling Expert System (EXCABL), developed at Rockwell International Space Transportation Systems Division. The operational version of EXCABL was delivered in 1986 and successfully solved the payload electrical support services cabling layout problem. As a result of this success, a second expert system, Expert Drawing Matching System (EXMATCH), was developed to generate a list of the reusable installation drawings available for each EXCABL solution. EXMATCH went operational in 1987. As a result of these initial successes, the need for a third expert system was defined and is awaiting development. This new Expert System, called Technical Order Listing Expert System (EXTOL), will generate a list of all the applicable reusable installation drawings available to support the total payload bay mission provisioning and installation effort. This paper describes these expert systems, the individual problems that they were designed to solve, their individual solutions, and the degree of success achieved. These expert systems' instantiate the applicability of this technology to the solution of real-world Space Shuttle payload integration problems.

Morris, Keith↗
NASA NTRS1989

Low-speed wind tunnel performance of high-speed counterrotation propellers at angle-of-attack

The low-speed aerodynamic performance characteristics of two advanced counterrotation pusher-propeller configurations with cruise design Mach numbers of 0.72 were investigated in the NASA Lewis 9- by 15-Foot Low-Speed Wind Tunnel. The tests were conducted at Mach number 0.20, which is representative of the aircraft take-off/landing flight regime. The investigation determined the effect of nonuniform inflow on the propeller performance characteristics for several blade angle settings and a range of rotational speeds. The inflow was varied by yawing the propeller model to angle-of-attack by as much as plus or minus 16 degrees and by installing on the counterrotation propeller test rig near the propeller rotors a model simulator of an aircraft engine support pylon and fuselage. The results of the investigation indicated that the low-speed performance of the counterrotation propeller configurations near the take-off target operating points were reasonable and were fairly insensitive to changes in model angle-of-attack without the aircraft pylon/fuselage simulators installed on the propeller test rig. When the aircraft pylon/fuselage simulators were installed, small changes in propeller performance were seen at zero angle-of-attack, but fairly large changes in total power coefficient and very large changes of aft-to-forward-rotor torque ratio were produced when the propeller model was taken to angle-of-attack. The propeller net efficiency, though, was fairly insensitive to any changes in the propeller flowfield conditions near the take-off target operating points.

Hughes, Christopher E.↗
NASA NTRS1988

NASA follow-on on the Fiji South Pacific Severe Storm Warning System Project (SPSSD/WS)

The follow-on agreement will implement needed systems enhancements of the satellite ground station installed under the previous SPSSD/WS project. These enhancements include the purchase and installation of an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) and lightning protection unit, hardware modifications to provide system redundancy and increased data storage capacity, software modifications for the new Japanese GMS digital data, upgrades of the image processing software, and both hardware maintenance and tropical cyclone analysis training, and a non-renewable grant to provide emergency field repairs and replacement/spare parts. In March 1988, the UPS and lightning protection unit was installed at the Fiji Meteorological Service by NASA personnel. A tape recorder and demodulator was shipped to Fiji to record the new digital GMS data. Data tapes are not yet available from the Japanese Meteorological Service of the new digital format. This data is required to test the GMS digital software being developed for the Fiji SPSSD/WS facility.

Vermillion, C.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Low-speed wind tunnel performance of high-speed counterrotation propellers at angle-of-attack

The low-speed aerodynamic performance characteristics of two advanced counterrotation pusher-propeller configurations with cruise design Mach numbers of 0.72 were investigated in the NASA Lewis 9- by 15-Foot Low-Speed Wind Tunnel. The tests were conducted at Mach number 0.20, which is representative of the aircraft take/off/landing flight regime. The investigation determined the effect of nonuniform inflow on the propeller performance characteristics for several blade angle settings and a range of rotational speeds. The inflow was varied by yawing the propeller mode to angle-of-attack by as much as plus or minus 16 degrees and by installing on the counterrotation propeller test rig near the propeller rotors a model simulator of an aircraft engine support pylon and fuselage. The results of the investigation indicated that the low-speed performance of the counterrotation propeller configurations near the take-off target operating points were reasonable and were fairly insensitive to changes in model angle-of-attack without the aircraft pylon/fuselage simulators installed on the propeller test rig. When the aircraft pylon/fuselage simulators were installed, small changes in propeller performance were seen at zero angle-of-attack, but fairly large changes in total power coefficient and very large changes of aft-to-forward-rotor torque ratio were produced when the propeller model was taken to angle-of-attack. The propeller net efficiency, though, was fairly insensitive to any changes in the propeller flowfield conditions near the take-off target operating points.

Hughes, Christopher E.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Perpendicular-Force Latch

Latching mechanism simultaneously applies force in two perpendicular directions to install or remove electronic-equipment modules. Used to simplify installation and removal of modular equipment where movement restricted by protective clothing as in hazardous environments or where installation and removal to be performed by robots or remote manipulators. Concept adaptable to hydraulic, pneumatic, and mechanical systems.

Mattei, John P.↗
NASA NTRS1989

New test techniques to evaluate near field effects for supersonic store carriage and separation

Store separation and store carriage drag studies were conducted. A primary purpose is to develop new experimental methods to evaluate near field effects of store separation and levels of store carriage drag associated with a variety of carriage techniques for different store shapes and arrangements. Flow field measurements consisting of surface pressure distributions and vapor screen photographs are used to analyze the variations of the store separation characteristics with cavity geometry. Store carriage drag measurements representative of tangent, semi-submerged, and internal carriage installations are presented and discussed. Results are included from both fully metric models and models with only metric segments (metric pallets) and the relative merits of the two are discussed. Carriage drag measurements for store installations on an aircraft parent body are compared both with prediction methods and with installations on a generic parent body.

Sawyer, Wallace C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Venturi air-jet vacuum ejectors for high-volume atmospheric sampling on aircraft platforms

Documentation of the installation and use of venturi air-jet vacuum ejectors for high-volume atmospheric sampling on aircraft platforms is presented. Information on the types of venturis that are useful for meeting the pumping requirements of atmospheric-sampling experiments is also presented. A description of the configuration and installation of the venturi system vacuum line is included with details on the modifications that were made to adapt a venturi to the NASA Electra aircraft at GSFC, Wallops Flight Facility. Flight test results are given for several venturis with emphasis on applications to the Differential Absorption Carbon Monoxide Measurement (DACOM) system at LaRC. This is a source document for atmospheric scientists interested in using the venturi systems installed on the NASA Electra or adapting the technology to other aircraft.

Hill, Gerald F.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Flight service environmental effects on composite materials and structures

NASA Langley and the U.S. Army have jointly sponsored programs to assess the effects of realistic flight environments and ground-based exposure on advanced composite materials and structures. Composite secondary structural components were initially installed on commercial transport aircraft in 1973; secondary and primary structural components were installed on commercial helicopters in 1979; and primary structural components were installed on commercial aircraft in the mid-to-late 1980's. Service performance, maintenance characteristics, and residual strength of numerous components are reported. In addition to data on flight components, 10 year ground exposure test results on material coupons are reported. Comparison between ground and flight environmental effects for several composite material systems are also presented. Test results indicate excellent in-service performance with the composite components during the 15 year period. Good correlation between ground-based material performance and operational structural performance has been achieved.

Dexter, H. Benson↗
NASA NTRS1991

Summary of aerothermal test results from the first flight of the Pegasus air-launched space booster

Temperature measurements were obtained on the Pegasus booster from launch through Mach 8.0. The majority of sensors were thin-foil temperature gages installed near the surface within the vehicle's ablating thermal protection system. These gages were distributed on the wing surfaces and on the wing-body fairing or fillet. Temperature time histories from these installations are presented. In addition, thermocouples were installed on the surface of nonablating plugs located on the fairing. These sensors were more responsive to changes in flight conditions than the foil gages and allowed a derivation of convective heat flux. A heating rate magnification of 2 was found in the vicinity of the wing shock interaction.

Noffz, Gregory K.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Laboratory testing of a high transmission loss aircraft cabin structure

Laboratory tests have been performed to obtain transmission loss data for an aircraft cabin with Helmholtz resonators installed in the sidewalls, ceiling, and cabin floor, and to determine the effectiveness of resonator installation. It is shown that resonators installed within the sidewalls of an aircraft cabin can significantly reduce SPL values of the fundamental propfan blade passage frequency within the cabin. Resonator performance can be improved by maximizing resonator nozzle to sidewall spacing, and by avoiding noise flanking paths within the sidewall trim design.

Kuntz, Herbert L.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Design considerations in clustering nuclear rocket engines

An initial investigation of the design considerations in clustering nuclear rocket engines for space transfer vehicles has been made. The clustering of both propulsion modules (which include start tanks) and nuclear rocket engines installed directly to a vehicle core tank appears to be feasible. Special provisions to shield opposite run tanks and the opposite side of a core tank - in the case of the boost pump concept - are required; the installation of a circumferential reactor side shield sector appears to provide an effective solution to this problem. While the time response to an engine-out event does not appear to be critical, the gimbal displacement required appears to be important. Since an installation of three engines offers a substantial reduction in gimbal requirements for engine-out and it may be possible to further enhance mission reliability with the greater number of engines, it is recommended that a cluster of four engines be considered.

Sager, Paul H.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Analysis of materials from MSFC LDEF experiments

In preparation for the arrival of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) samples, a material testing and handling approach was developed for the evaluation of the materials. A configured lab was made ready for the de-integration of the LDEF experiments. The lab was prepared to clean room specifications and arranged with the appropriate clean benches, tables, lab benches, clean room tools, particulate counter, and calibrated and characterized analytical instrumentation. Clean room procedures were followed. Clean room attire and shoe cleaning equipment were selected and installed for those entering. Upon arrival of the shipping crates they were taken to the lab, logged in, and opened for examination. The sample trays were then opened for inspection and test measurements. The control sample measurements were made prior to placement into handling and transport containers for the flight sample measurements and analysis. Both LDEF flight samples and LDEF type materials were analyzed and tested for future flight candidate material evaluation. Both existing and newly purchased equipment was used for the testing and evaluation. Existing Space Simulation Systems had to be upgraded to incorporate revised test objectives and approaches. Fixtures such as special configured sample holders, water, power and LN2 feed-throughs, temperature measurement and control, front surface mirrors for reflectance and deposition, and UV grade windows had to be designed, fabricated, and installed into systems to achieve the revised requirements. New equipment purchased for LDEF analysis was incorporated into and/or used with existing components and systems. A partial list of this equipment includes a portable monochromator, enhanced UV System, portable helium leak detector for porosity and leak measurements, new turbo pumping system, vacuum coaster assembly, cryopumps, and analytical and data acquisition equipment. A list of materials tested, equipment designed, fabricated and installed, systems used, and analytical research accomplished on both LDEF flight samples and on similar materials which were lab tested for a comparative analysis to the LDEF flight samples is presented.

Johnson, R. Barry↗
NASA NTRS1992

Pressure distribution for the wing of the YAV-8B airplane; with and without pylons

Pressure distribution data have been obtained in flight at four span stations on the wing panel of the YAV-8B airplane. Data obtained for the supercritical profiled wing, with and without pylons installed, ranged from Mach 0.46 to 0.88. The altitude ranged from approximately 20,000 to 40,000 ft and the resultant Reynolds numbers varied from approximately 7.2 million to 28.7 million based on the mean aerodynamic chord. Pressure distribution data and flow visualization results show that the full-scale flight wing performance is compromised because the lower surface cusp region experiences flow separation for some important transonic flight conditions. This condition is aggravated when local shocks occur on the lower surface of the wing (mostly between 20 and 35 percent chord) when the pylons are installed for Mach 0.8 and above. There is evidence that convex fairings, which cover the pylon attachment flanges, cause these local shocks. Pressure coefficients significantly more negative than those for sonic flow also occur farther aft on the lower surface (near 60 percent chord) whether or not the pylons are installed for Mach numbers greater than or equal to 0.8. These negative pressure coefficient peaks and associated local shocks would be expected to cause increasing wave and separation drag at transonic Mach number increases.

Saltzman, Edwin J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Advanced technology wind shear prediction system evaluation

The program overviews: (1) American Airline (AA)/Turbulence Prediction Systems (TPS), which have installed forward looking infrared predictive windshear system on 3 MD-80 aircraft; (2) AA/TPS AWAS III evaluation, which is a joint effort and is installed in the noise landing gear (NLG) area and a data recorder installed in the E/E compartment.

Gering, Greg↗
NASA NTRS1993

Photovoltaic Power Without Batteries for Continuous Cathodic Protection

The objective of this project was to successfully demonstrate that renewable energy can efficiently and economically replace dedicated non-renewable power sources. The COASTSYSTA designed, installed, and started up on 20 Jan. 1990, a state-of-the-art photovoltaic powered impressed current cathodic protection system (PVCPSYS) for steel and iron submerged structures. This system does not require any auxiliary/battery backup power. The PVCPSYS installed on 775 ft. of steel sheet piling of a Navy bulkhead is continuing to provide complete, continuous corrosion protection. This installation is well documented by COASTSYSTA and was verified on-site by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The PVCPSYS uses only renewable energy and is environmentally clean. A patent is pending on the new technology. Other possible PVCPSYS applications are mothballed ships, docks, dams, locks, bridges, marinas, and pipelines. The Department of Defense Photovoltaic Review Committee and Sandia National Laboratories consider this successful and cost effective system a major advance in the application of photovoltaics.

Muehl, W. W., Sr.↗
NASA NTRS1950

Flight Calibration of four airspeed systems on a swept-wing airplane at Mach numbers up to 1.04 by the NACA radar-phototheodolite method

The calibrations of four airspeed systems installed in a North American F-86A airplane have been determined in flight at Mach numbers up to 1.04 by the NACA radar-phototheodolite method. The variation of the static-pressure error per unit indicated impact pressure is presented for three systems typical of those currently in use in flight research, a nose boom and two different wing-tip booms, and for the standard service system installed in the airplane. A limited amount of information on the effect of airplane normal-force coefficient on the static-pressure error is included. The results are compared with available theory and with results from wind-tunnel tests of the airspeed heads alone. Of the systems investigated, a nose-boom installation was found to be most suitable for research use at transonic and low supersonic speeds because it provided the greatest sensitivity of the indicated Mach number to a unit change in true Mach number at very high subsonic speeds, and because it was least sensitive to changes in airplane normal-force coefficient. The static-pressure error of the nose-boom system was small and constant above a Mach number of 1.03 after passage of the fuselage bow shock wave over the airspeed head.

Thompson, Jim Rogers↗