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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 793 records · Page 44
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1983

Precise thermal control test demonstration on simulated space telescope main ring

A simulated section of the main ring of the Space Telescope, (ST) the part that holds the primary mirror, was manufactured and tested for thermal stability characteristics in a complex structural assembly. The other telescope subassemblies are also mounted on the main ring, which is constructed of a titanium alloy. The entire ring is wrapped in heater elements around the outside diameter to reduce the external temperature gradient effects by two orders of magnitude. A thermal vacuum test was performed using a stainless steel alloy tailored to represent the titanium ring's thermal characteristics. The tests examined the thermal performance and controllability of the test ring, the effects of a 24-hr slew manuever that produced worst-case environment changes, hot and cold simulation of predicted ST orbital thermal environments, and the effects of heater failure. Pointing and thermal control features were verified, but a heater failure on the 'on' side was found to quickly lead to exceeding the thermal design limits.

Bettini, R. G.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The 19 March 1982 Eruption and Lahar at Mount Saint Helens: Implications for Martian Outlfow Channels?

A small explosive eruption of Mount St. Helens set into motion an unusually complex series of geomorphic and hydrologic processes that had not previously been described in the literature. This event was unusual in that a laterally-directed eruption dislodged and mobilized a thick snowpack from the surrounding crater floor and walls, resulting in the formation of a temporary lake. Catastrophic release of this self-impounded lake spawned a series of destructive debris avalanches and debris flows that moved rapidly down the volcano's north flank and into the North Toutle River valley. Catastrophic release of volatiles mobilized by volcanic activity has been discussed as a possible mechanism to explain a class of outflow channels on Mars. The eruption of Mount St. Helens provides a unique opportunity to study the deposits and landforms created by such an event; a more detailed field study and examination of Viking photographs of martian outflow channels is underway.

Beach, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1983

A three-dimensional study of metal grains in equilibrated, ordinary chondrites

Metal particles in Guarena (H6), Colby (L6) and St. Severin (LL6) were studied by optical microscopy and by electron microprobe analysis. Observations from successive polished sections through the metal particles show that kamacite and taenite grains, which often appear to be isolated particles, are connected directly or by intervening sulfides. Also tetrataenite rims are widest when adjacent to sulfide or kamacite. These observations indicate that transfer of Ni during cooling when kamacite-taenite phase growth takes place does not occur through the silicate phases but proceeds through metal and sulfide phases or along grain boundaries. By utilizing the central Ni content of taenite grains from successive sections, metallographic cooling rates were determined more precisely than by using one arbitrary section. Cooling rates determined in this manner for Guarena, Colby, and St. Severin are 4.3 K, 4.0 K, and 1.0 K per million years, respectively.

Willis, J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

One application of mega-geomorphology in education

One advantage of a synoptic view displaying landform assemblages provided by imagery is that one can often identify geomorphic processes which have shaped the region and which may affect the habitability of the area over a human life time. Considering the continued growth of the world population and the resultant pressure and the exploitation of land, usually without any consideration given to geologic processes, it is imperative that we attempt to educate as large a segment of the population as we can about geologic processes and how they influence land use. Space platform imagery which exhibits regional landscapes can be used: (1) to show students the impact of geologic processes over relatively short periods of time (e.g., the Mount St. Helens lateral blast); (2) to display the effects of poor planning because of a lack of knowledge of the local geologic processes (e.g., the 1973 image of the Mississippi River flood around St. Louis, MO); and (3) to show the association of certain types of landforms with building materials and other resources (e.g., drumlins and gravel deposits).

Blair, R. W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Antenna induced range smearing in MST radars

There is considerable interest in developing stratosphere troposphere (ST) and mesosphere stratosphere troposphere (MST) radars for higher resolution to study small-scale turbulent structures and waves. At present most ST and MST radars have resolutions of 150 meters or larger, and are not able to distinguish the thin (40 - 100 m) turbulent layers that are known to occur in the troposphere and stratosphere, and possibly in the mesosphere. However the antenna beam width and sidelobe level become important considerations for radars with superior height resolution. The objective of this paper is to point out that for radars with range resolutions of about 150 meters or less, there may be significant range smearing of the signals from mesospheric altitudes due to the finite beam width of the radar antenna. At both stratospheric and mesospheric heights the antenna sidelobe level for lear equally spaced phased arrays may also produce range aliased signals. To illustrate this effect the range smearing functions for two vertically directed antennas have been calculated, (1) an array of 32 coaxial-collinear strings each with 48 elements that simulates the vertical beam of the Poker Flat, Glaska, MST radar; and (2) a similar, but smaller, array of 16 coaxial-collinear strings each with 24 elements.

Watkins, B. J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Frequency and site selection criteria for MST radars, part 5.1A

The majority of mesosphere-stratosphere-troposphere (MST) and ST radars are located in or near mountainous terrain. When measuring horizontal velocities, the terrain is a small factor, but when measuring vertical velocities, the meteorological noise induced by rough terrain can severely limit the usefulness of the observations. When the variance of the vertical velocity is too large, it is not possible to suitably filter the data to detect the small synoptic-scale signal with reasonable statistical confidence. The variance of vertical velocity at all tropospheric levels is directly related to the low level wind speed during flow over rough terrain. It is suggested that the synoptic-scale vertical velocity can be measured by ST radars where the terrain is smooth. The large-scale vertical velocity cannot always be reliably determined from MST radar data when the underlying terrain is rough. The vertical velocity is potentially on of future radar site selections, taking into account the desired meteorological applications of the data and engineering design factors. If the synoptic-scale vertical velocity is a desired variable, the radar should not be located near mountains.

Nastrom, G. D.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Large-scale coherent structure and far-field jet noise

The phenomenon of broadband noise amplification/suppression under controlled excitation is investigated. The suppression is found to occur only at low jet speeds when the exit boundary layer is laminar; excitation at a Strouhal St(theta) number of about 0.017 results in optimum suppression of the far-field broadband noise as well as of the near-flow-field turbulence. The noise amplification is found to be a function of the Mach number, the amplification is higher at higher Mach number for a given excitation Strouhal number and level. The amplification also depends on the Strouhal number (St D), the maximum occurring in the range 0.65-0.85. Vortex pairing induced by the excitation appears to be at the heart of the noise amplification phenomenon under excitation.

Zaman, K. B. M. Q.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Orbital atomic oxygen effects on thermal control and optical materials - STS-8 results

The effects of exposing 23 specimens of optical and thermal control materials to space at 120 km altitude for over 40 hrs during the STS-8 mission are discussed. Ten samples of paint targeted for the Space Telescope (ST) and the Tethered Satellite were exposed, and included polyurethane, oxide, silicone, and glossy black and white samples which were scanned for alterations in the optical properties after being retrieved. Nine mirror-type materials were also investigated, along with silver specimens typical of solar cell interconnects. The oxygen flow at the orbital altitude was 3.5 x 10 to the 20th atoms/cu cm. The exposures caused no degradation of the magnesium fluoride mirror coatings, while the Kapton coating for the ST solar cell panels showed evidence of losing thickness. The Ag solar cell contacts will require coatings to extend their lifetimes. Overcoatings were also proven necessary for inhibiting degradation of painted surfaces.

Whitaker, A. F.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Large-scale spectral structure with a gap in the stably stratified atmosphere

The analysis of the large-scale structure of turbulence in a stratified atmosphere is important for the prediction and modelling of turbulence. The Monin-Obukhov similarity consideration is well suited for the modelling of small-scale turbulence. But the large-scale turbulence possesses new features and parameters, as connected with the appearance of a spectral gap in the stably stratified atmosphere, for the understanding of which an analytical investigation is needed. By a group-kinetic method, the anisotropic form of the transfer function and its governing eddy viscosity are derived. On this basis, the spectral laws k to the -5/3rd, k to the -1st, k to the -3rd are obtained for the subranges of inertia, shear, and buoyancy, respectively. A gap connects the last two subranges by the variable anisotropy, as a result of the fall of the spectrum of the vertical velocity fluctuations. The variable anisotropy causes the deviations from the spectral laws k to the -1st and k to the -3rd. An experiment supports the analytical prediction.

Larsen, S. E.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Hubble Space Telescope meteoroid-debris protection analysis

A system level failure could occur if the Hubble Space Telescope's (ST) capability to operate as a facility on-orbit is critically reduced or when a significant reduction in the quality of science data is registered. Failure could occur if a meteoroid/debris impact damages a component of a major support subsystem or if a meteoroid/debris penetration causes straylight contamination in the light shield, forward shell, aft shroud, or through the aperture door. The ST was analyzed to find the probability of no critical penetration. This probability value was found to be 92.25% for a two-year service life. A straylight leakage repair technique was recommended for the aft shroud, the region found most likely to be critically penetrated. Fozar tape and multilayer insulation blankets are suggested as posible repair materials.

Horn, J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Systems engineering - Space Telescope project

At midpoint in the development of the Space Telescope (ST), a review process was conducted which determined that much benefit could be derived from an expanded systems engineering effort. The Systems Engineering Office thus established is responsible for the running of a management information system whose functions encompass design change control and the implementation of a maintenance and refurbishment program. By these means, interface hardware/software incompatibilities between critical ST modules and subsystems have been revealed and corrected.

Wojtalik, F. S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

The PROUST radar

The Stratosphere-Troposphere (ST) radar called PROUST works at 935 MHz using the same klystron and antenna as the coherent-scatter radar. The use of this equipment for ST work has required some important modifications of the transmitting system and the development of receiving, data processing and acquisition (1984,1985) equipment. The modifications are discussed.

Bertin, F.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Reactions of chlorine nitrate with HCl and H2O

The kinetics of the reactions of chlorine nitrate with HCl and H2O are characterized using a static photolysis/Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer apparatus. For the homogeneous gas-phase reaction with HCl, an upper limit for the rate constant of less than 8.4 x 10 to the -21st, and for the reaction with H2O, a limit of less than 3.4 x 10 to the -21st cu cm/molecule per s, were obtained at 296 + or - 2 K. The yield of HNO3 is almost unity in both cases, and no synergistic effect is noted between HCl and H2O. The kinetic behavior of the reaction with H2O is well described by simple first-order kinetics, while the behavior of the reaction with HCl is described in terms of the Langmuir adsorption isotherm.

Hatakeyama, Shiro↗
NASA NTRS1986

Space Telescope Antenna Pointing System analysis and test

The Space Telescope (ST), carrying five astronomy instruments, is a long-life spacecraft designed to achieve and maintain ultrafine stabilization jitter performance. The rms jitter specification for pointing performance is 7 marcsec (1sigma) during periods of scientific observation. Spacecraft attitude control is achieved by onboard computer processing of attitude and rate sensor data to generate reaction-wheel torque commands. The ST Antenna Pointing System is used to position a high-gain antenna for relaying science and engineering data from the spacecraft to the ground station.

Dodder, R.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Large amplitude acoustic excitation of swirling turbulent jets

A swirling jet with a swirl number of S = 0.12 is exited by plane acoustic waves at various Strouhal numbers (St = fD/U sub alpha). The maximum forcing amplitude of excitation was at 6.88 percent of the time-mean axial velocity at a Strouhal number of St = 0.39. The maximum time-mean tangential and axial velocities at the nozzle exit were 18 and 84 m/sec respectively. It was observed that the swirling jet was excitable by plane acoustic waves and the preferred Strouhal number based on the nozzle diameter and exit axial velocity of the jet was about 0.39. As a result of excitation at this frequency, the time-mean axial velocity decayed faster along the jet centerline, reaching about 89 percent of its unexcited value at x/D = 9. Also the half velocity radius and momentum thichness, at 7 nozzle diameters downstream, increased by 13.2 and 5.8 percent respectively, indicating more jet spread and enhanced mixing. To our knowledge, this is the first reported experimental data indicating any mixing enhancement of swirling jets by acoustic excitation.

Taghavi, R.↗
NASA NTRS1988

High temperature furnace modeling and performance verifications

Analytical, numerical and experimental studies were performed on two classes of high temperature materials processing furnaces. The research concentrates on a commercially available high temperature furnace using zirconia as the heating element and an arc furnace based on a ST International tube welder. The zirconia furnace was delivered and work is progressing on schedule. The work on the arc furnace was initially stalled due to the unavailability of the NASA prototype, which is actively being tested aboard the KC-135 experimental aircraft. A proposal was written and funded to purchase an additional arc welder to alleviate this problem. The ST International weld head and power supply were received and testing will begin in early November. The first 6 months of the grant are covered.

Smith, James E., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Initial Sr-87/Sr-86 and Sm-Nd chronology of chondritic meteorites

Isotopic analyses of the Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd systems in phosphates from ordinary chondritic meteorites (Bjurbole, Mocs, Menow, Elenovka, Ambapur Nagla, and St. Severin) are presented. The Sm-Nd data yield an isochron of age 4.55 + or - 0.45 Ga and an initial Nd-143/Nd-144 consistent with that of Juvinas. Initial Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios are characteristically (possibly excepting St. Severin) elevated with respect to BABI or ALL. Considering both presently and previously reported data, elevation of initial Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios corresponding to metamorphism intervals of the order of 10 to the 8th years seems quite characteristic of chondrites of metamorphic grade 4 or higher. These formation intervals, however, do not correlate with either degree of metamorphism or with I-Xe ages, hence such data for metamorphic chronologies should be interpreted with caution.

Brannon, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Large amplitude acoustic excitation of swirling turbulent jets

A swirling jet with a swirl number of S = 0.12 is excited by plane acoustic waves at various Strouhal numbers (St = fD/U sub alpha). The maximum forcing amplitude of excitation was at 6.88 percent of the time-mean axial velocity at a Strouhal number of St = 0.39. The maximum time-mean tangential and axial velocities at the nozzle exit were 18 and 84 m/sec respectively. It was observed that the swirling jet was excitable by plane acoustic waves and the preferred Strouhal number based on the nozzle diameter and exit axial velocity of the jet was about 0.39. As a result of excitation at this frequency, the time-mean axial velocity decayed faster along the jet centerline, reaching about 89 percent of its unexcited value at x/D = 9. Also the half velocity radius and momentum thickness, at 7 nozzle diameters downstream, increased by 13.2 and 5.8 percent respectively, indicating more jet spread and enhanced mixing. To our knowledge, this is the first reported experimental data indicating any mixing enhancement of swirling jets by acoustic excitation.

Taghavi, R.↗