Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “WIND VELOCITY”

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 757 records · Page 42

The Viking mission to Mars.

In 1975 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration will launch two unmanned scientific payloads to make soft landings on Mars in 1976. They will be placed in orbit around the planet to perform a reconnaissance before landing. The spacecraft will be separated into an orbiter, which is sent to the surface. During the entry into the Martian atmosphere, Viking will make measurements of the composition and atmospheric structure. After landing, two cameras will be used to visually characterize the site. A device will be deployed to obtain a sample of the Mars surface, which will be returned to the lander for biological tests and for chemical analysis. The atmosphere at the surface will be chemically analyzed as well as the wind velocity, the humidity, and changes in temperature and pressure.

Soffen, G. A.↗

Comparison of vertical profile turbulence structure with stellar observations.

Vertical profiles of microthermal turbulence structure have been obtained from balloon flights to altitudes near 25 km above mean sea level. Comparison of the observed turbulence structure with meteorological data and simultaneously acquired stellar scintillation data has been successful. For this comparison integrals over the observed turbulence structure were computed as required by theory. Turbulence and wind velocity data were also employed to successfully predict stellar irradiance spectra.

Bufton, J. L.↗

Anisotropies in the interplanetary intensity of solar protons with energies greater than 0.3 MeV.

By using Explorer 35 interplanetary observations of solar protons with energies greater than 0.3 MeV during ten selected solar events (1967-1970) the tine dependence of intensity and of the angular distribution of intensity has been studied for the first time in the sub-MeV range of energy. The respective contributions of diffusive and convective transport are resolved. Results are qualitatively similar to those of McCracken et al. (1968, 1971) in the energy range from 7.5to 45 MeV; but, as was expected, convective transport is found to be relatively more important at the lower energies. The convective component of the anisotropy vector yields values of the solar wind velocity in good agreement with directly measured values.

Innanen, W. G.↗

Precise calculation of the magnetosphere surface for a tilted dipole.

The shape of the magnetosphere has been calculated self-consistently for inclinations of the earth's magnetic dipole from perpendicular to the solar wind. Inclination angles of 0-35 deg have been chosen in steps of 5 deg and various smooth trends in the surface characteristics with increasing inclination angle noted. The surface points and the complete field at the surface points have been calculated for the entire surfaces. The neutral point region has been given precise study in one degree steps and is found to be tangent to the solar wind velocity and to have a smooth continuous curvature.

Choe, J. Y.↗

Observed properties of interplanetary rotational discontinuities.

In a prior study, discontinuities were identified as tangential or rotational principally on the basis of the existence or absence of a magnetic field component perpendicular to the plane of the discontinuity. The observed properties of the rotational discontinuities are described in this paper. The normals to the discontinuities were subjected to a variance analysis and did not exhibit a statistically significant anisotropy. These normals appear to be randomly oriented. Since rotational discontinuities are large-amplitude Alfven waves, the transverse perturbation in the magnetic field implies a corresponding jump in the solar wind velocity that is often only slightly less than the Alfven speed. The rotational discontinuities identified are all circularly polarized and transport vorticity and angular momentum.

Smith, E. J.↗

On Greenstadt's binary index criterion.

The Greenstadt-type criterion for distinguishing between laminar and 'pulsating' (i.e., irregular) bow shock crossings can be expressed as a critical angle between the shock normal and the magnetic field. When the field is more tangent to the shock plane than this critical angle, the shock is laminar. More importantly, the requirement of Galilean invariance of the physics underlying such a criterion reveals that the Greenstadt p index must vary inversely as the solar wind velocity.

Northrop, T. G.↗

Comparison of vertical profile turbulence structure with stellar observations.

Vertical profiles of microthermal turbulence structure have been obtained from balloon flights to altitudes near 25 km above mean sea level. Comparison of the observed turbulence structure with meteorological data and simultaneously acquired stellar scintillation data has been successful. For this comparison integrals over the observed turbulence structure were computed as required by theory. Turbulence and wind velocity data were also employed to predict successfully stellar irradiance spectra.

Bufton, J. L.↗

Kohoutek - A great comet coming.

Passing inside the earth's orbit in late November, the comet Kohoutek will travel through the inner solar system during a unique period in the history of the space program, when Skylab and Mariner Venus-Mercury are in operation and the new C-141 Airborne Infrared Observatory is ready for flight. It is planned to investigate comprehensively the nature and evolution of the coma and tails of the comet. The detailed goals of the investigation include the identification of the parent molecules of the gases observed in comets, the determination of the processes that break down the parent molecules, the study of the physical nature of transient events in the comet, and the measurement of the solar-wind velocity in the inner solar system.

Maran, S. P.↗

Economic considerations of utilizing small wind generators

The economic feasibility of small wind generators is compared to that of solar cells, primary batteries, thermoelectric generators, and engine generators. It is shown that small wind generator plants offer an attractive alternative to primary battery systems and constantly running engines to generate power in remote areas. The limitation is an annual average wind velocity of at least 9 to 10 mph. Presently available units are most useful in the average load range of 10 to 1000 watts.

Dodge, R.↗

Skylab 2 ground winds data reduction and statistical analysis

A ground winds test was conducted on the Skylab 2 spacecraft in a subsonic wind tunnel and the results were tape recorded for analysis. The data reduction system used to analyze the tapes for full scale, first and second mode bending moments, or acceleration plots versus dynamic pressure or wind velocity is explained. Portions of the Skylab 2 tape data were analyzed statistically in the form of power spectral densities, autocorrelations, and cross correlations to introduce a concept of using system response decay as a measure of linear system damping.

Source record↗

Lunar electrical conductivity, permeability,and temperature from Apollo magnetometer experiments

Magnetometers were deployed at four Apollo sites on the moon to measure remanent and induced lunar magnetic fields. Measurements from this network of instruments were used to calculate the electrical conductivity, temperature, magnetic permeability, and iron abundance of the lunar interior. Global lunar fields due to eddy currents, induced in the lunar interior by magnetic transients, were analyzed to calculate and electrical conductivity profile for the moon, and those profiles were used to calculate the lunar temperature for an assumed lunar material of olivine. Simultaneous measurements by magnetometers on the lunar surface and in orbit around the moon were use to construct a whole-moon hysteresis curve, from which the global lunar magnetic permeability is determined. Total iron abundance (sum of iron in the ferromagnetic and paramagnetic states) was calculated for two assumed compositional models of the lunar interior. Other lunar models with an iron core and with a shallow iron-rich layer also discussed in light of the measured global lunar permeability. Simultaneous magnetic field and solar plasma pressure measurements show that the remanent fields at the Apollo 12 and 16 sites interact with, and are compressed by, the solar wind. Velocities and thicknesses of the earth's magnetopause and bow shock were also estimated from simultaneous magnetometer measurements.

Dyal, P.↗

Preliminary design of a 100 kW turbine generator

The National Science Foundation and the Lewis Research Center have engaged jointly in a Wind Energy Program which includes the design and erection of a 100 kW wind turbine generator. The machine consists primarily of a rotor turbine, transmission, shaft, alternator, and tower. The rotor, measuring 125 feet in diameter and consisting of two variable pitch blades operates at 40 rpm and generates 100 kW of electrical power at 18 mph wind velocity. The entire assembly is placed on top of a tower 100 feet above ground level.

Puthoff, R. L.↗

Statistical interpretation of pollution data from satellites

The NIMBUS-G environmental monitoring satellite has an instrument (a gas correlation spectrometer) onboard for measuring the mass of a given pollutant within a gas volume. The present paper treats the problem: How can this type measurement be used to estimate the distribution of pollutant levels in a metropolitan area. Estimation methods are used to develop this distribution. The pollution concentration caused by a point source is modeled as a Gaussian plume. The uncertainty in the measurements is used to determine the accuracy of estimating the source strength, the wind velocity, diffusion coefficients and source location.

Smith, G. L.↗

Interplanetary stream magnetism: Kinematic effects

The particle density, and the magnetic field intensity and direction are calculated in corotating streams of the solar wind, assuming that the solar wind velocity is constant and radial and that its azimuthal variations are not two rapid. The effects of the radial velocity profile in corotating streams on the magnetic fields were examined using kinematic approximation and a variety of field configurations on the inner boundary. Kinematic and dynamic effects are discussed.

Burlaga, L. F.↗

A dynamic model for the time evolution of the modulated cosmic ray spectrum

A recently developed model predicts an energy dependent phase lag in the modulated cosmic ray density U(t) given by U(t) approximately equal to US (t - tau) where US is the solution to the Fokker-Planck equation under time independent conditions and tau is the average time spent by particles inside the modulating region. The delay times tau are functions of modulating parameters R (the radius of the modulating cavity), V (the solar wind velocity), and K (the effective average diffusion-coefficient which is a function of energy). This model is applied to predict the time evolution of the modulated cosmic ray proton spectrum over a simulated solar cycle. A modulation produced mostly by varying R over the solar cycle is less consistent with the observations.

Ogallagher, J. J.↗

Solar activity and the motions of the upper atmosphere

A possible mechanism for the action of solar radiation on the motion of the upper atmosphere is considered that includes the time dependent interplanetary field contour line and its effect on zonal wind velocity. A strong correlation is reported between this induction mechanism and those indices of solar activity that characterize the magnetic fields of the solar plasma.

Dmitriyev, A. A.↗

Detection techniques for tenuous planetary atmospheres

Electrostatic charging of dust and its effect on planetary atmospheres is discussed, along with its applications to Martian atmosphere. Laboratory and field experiments in dust storms indicate that the major atmospheric parameters on Mars include: (1) pressure, temperature, and relative humidity; (2) wind velocity and direction; (3) particulate size and composition; and (4) electrostatic charge and field gradient. Various instrumentation techniques adapted for a Mars Lander are briefly reviewed. The effect of exoelectron emission on surface catalysis is studied.

Hoenig, S. A.↗

The 100 kW experimental wind turbine generator project

The Energy Research and Development Administration and the NASA Lewis Research Center engaged jointly in a Wind Energy Program which included the design and erection of a 100 kW wind turbine generator. This test machine consists of a rotor turbine, transmission, shaft, alternator, and tower. The rotor, measuring 125 feet in diameter and consisting of two variable pitch blades, operates at 40 rpm and generates 100 kW of electrical power at a wind velocity of 18 mph. The entire assembly is placed on top of a tower 100 feet above ground level. The machine was scheduled to be ready for operation in August, 1975.

Puthoff, R. L.↗