Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “particle data”

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 793 records · Page 44
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

Particle and field signatures during pseudobreakup and major expansion onset

The temporal and spatial scales of the onset of two types of substorm events are investigated. These substorms were cases where the expansion onset had precursor localized auroral activation without significant negative bay enhancement, that is, 'pseudobreakup'. High-resolution energetic particle and magnetic field data at synchronous orbit are used for the analysis together with auroral and magnetic field data simultaneously taken from ground-based instrumentation. The auroral structure following the pseudobreakup significantly resembled the major expansion aurora, except in its spatial scale. Typical magnetospheric onset signatures such as tail current diversion, dipolarization, and injection were observed associated with some of the pseudobreakups. The major expansion, on the other hand, consisted of a number of rather localized injections and expansions, each of which had timescales of 2-8 min, a comparable timescale to that of pseudobreakups. This study shows that there does not appear to be any phenomenological differences between pseudobreakups and major expansion onsets. The major difference between pseudobreakups and major expansion onsets would be the number of occurrences, as well as the intensity and the scale size of the magnetospheric source.

Nakamura, Rumi↗
NASA NTRS1997

Analysis of Crystallization Kinetics

A realistic computer model for polymorphic crystallization (i.e., initial and final phases with identical compositions), which includes time-dependent nucleation and cluster-size-dependent growth rates, is developed and tested by fits to experimental data. Model calculations are used to assess the validity of two of the more common approaches for the analysis of crystallization data. The effects of particle size on transformation kinetics, important for the crystallization of many systems of limited dimension including thin films, fine powders, and nanoparticles, are examined.

Kelton, Kenneth F.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Three-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Simulations of the Postimpact Proto-Earth

Astrophysical fluid configurations are susceptible to a variety of nonaxisymmetric instabilities under the combined effects of rotation, self-gravity, and thermal pressure. When strong enough, they can induce rapid transport of mass and angular momentum. Our own previous studies of nonaxisymmetric instabilities in model protostars and protostellar disks show that significant transport can occur on orbital timescales and that material can be ejected to large distances. In this contribution, we present three-dimensional simulations of the circumterrestrial debris belt that may have resulted from a giant impact. Our three-dimensional hydrodynamics code with self-gravity and artificial viscosity is fully second-order in space and time; the equations of hydrodynamics and the Poisson equation are solved on an Eulerian cylindrical grid. In the preliminary calculations presented here, we use a simplified EOS where the central proto-Earth is treated as an n = 1/2 polytropic fluid, surrounded by a more compressible, rapidly rotating, fluid disk that represents silicate vapor. Our initial disk parameters are generated from the endstate data of recent smoothed particle hydrodynamics giant-impact calculations. Ultimately, we wish to detennine under what conditions nonaxisymmetric instabilities grow in the postimpact disk and whether they facilitate the transport of material outside the proto-Earth's Roche Limit, leading to the formation of the Moon. In future work, we hope to include a more realistic EOS and the consequences of heating, cooling, and phase transitions.

Pickett, B. K.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Modeling Chandra Space Environment

This paper describes the development of an environmental risk-mitigation tool for the Chandra X-ray Observatory's Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS). Because exposure to 100-200 keV protons appears to have degraded the front-illuminated CCD's charge transfer inefficiency (CTI), an accurate tool for predicting encounters with magnetospheric regions rich in these particles is required. We implement standard models to predict bow-shock, magnetopause, and plasma-sheet boundaries. Using these models and solar-wind databases compiled from IMP-8 and ACE measurements, we then calculate the probability that Chandra is located in one of these regions, along with predicted particle flux, to arrive at appropriate safing times for the ACIS detector. Finally, we validate this tool by comparing the model's boundary-crossing and proton flux predictions with measurements from Chandra's on-board particle detector and with data from other spacecraft operating in the Earth's magnetosphere.

Blackwell, W. C.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Cloud Microphysics in Hurricane Outflows: Observations in 'Bonnie' (1998) at 12 km Altitude

The water balance of a hurricane is controlled by boundary layer inflow, near vertical motion in the eyewall causing coalescence precipitation at above and residual ice precipitation at below freezing temperatures, and cirrus outflow at below -40 C aloft. In this paper we address the question of efficiency of water removal by this cirrus outflow which is important for the release of latent heat at high altitudes and its role in the dynamic flow at that level. During NASA's 1998 Convection and Moisture Experiment campaign we acquired microphysical outflow data in order to (1) determine the release and redistribution of latent heat near the top of hurricanes, (2) aid in TRMM algorithm development for remote sensing of precipitation, and (3) determine the optical/radiative characteristics of hurricane outflow. The data were acquired with Particle Measuring Systems two dimensional imaging spectrometers. On 23 August and again during the hurricane's landfall on 26 August, 1998, the NASA DC-8 aircraft penetrated hurricane 'Bonnie' four times each near 200 hPa pressure altitude. The eye crossing times were determined by (1) zero counts of cloud particles, (2) approximately 5 C increases in static and potential temperatures, and (3) minima in speeds and changes of direction of horizontal winds. The vertical winds showed shear between -6 m per second and +4 m per second and tangential winds approached 30 m per second in the eyewall. The particle volumes in the eyewall (determined by the pixels the particles shadowed in the direction of flight [x-direction] and normally to it by the number of diodes that they shadowed [y-direction]) ranged between 0.5 and 5.0 cubic centimeters per cubic meter. With a particle density near 0.2 g per cubic centimeter (determined from in situ melting and evaporation on a surface collector), the 1.0 g per meter corresponding mass of cloud ice ranged between 0.27 and 2.7 g per kilograms yielding horizontal fluxes between 8.1 and 81 g per square meters per second. The outflow ice was concentrated in crystals of a modal size of 190 micrometers. The particle size distributions were heavily skewed toward sizes with 98% of all cirrus particles smaller than the modal size comprising, however, only 20% of the mass. Thus the smaller than modal size particles dominantly affected the optical/radiative characteristics of the cloud, whereas the larger than modal size crystals determined the ice mass, hence dominated latent heating. Questions to be addressed relate to the origin of individual ice particles as the hurricane evolved and the likelihood of pristine and aggregate particle formation under the complicated conditions of rotation and outflow in the eyewall.

Pueschel, Rudolf F.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Electrical Charging of the Clouds of Titan

We have used recent data on graphitic cloud particles in the atmosphere or Titan to compute the electrical charging of the particles (radii ranging from 0.01 microns to 0.26 microns). The charging on the nightside was rather similar to that obtained earlier (Borucki et al, Icarus, 72, 604-622, 1987) except that charge distributions on the particles are now computed and recently obtained cloud particle sizes and density distributions were employed. The negative charge on particles of 0.26 microns peaked at 9 at 150 km altitude. The computations were repeated for the dayside with the addition of photoelectron emission by the particles as a result of the absorption of solar UV radiation. Particles (except the very smallest) now became positively charged with particles of radius 0.26 microns being charged up to +47. Next, very small particles (radii approximately 3 x 10^-4 microns) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were introduced and treated as sources of negative ions since they could be either neutral or carry one negative charge. Moreover, they are mobile so that they had to be treated like molecular size negative ions although much more massive. They had the effect of substantially reducing the electron densities in the altitude range 190 to 310 km to values less than the negative PAH densities and increasing the peak electron charge on the larger particles. Particles of radius 0.26 microns bore peak charges of plus or minus 47 at altitudes of approximately 250 km. The simulated effect of PAHs on the nightside proved to be much less pronounced; at the peak negative PAH density, it was less than the electron density. The physics governing these results will be discussed.

Borucki, William J.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Resuspension of Particles by Aerodynamic Deagglomeration

A deagglomerator system was developed, characterized by laboratory tests and flown under low gravity (low-g) microgravity conditions. Requirements for a dry powder deagglomeration system were generated by university and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists from diverse fields of interest including exobiology, planetary sciences, and atmospheric sciences. Existing deagglomeration methods and devices are reviewed. An aerosol generation method suitable for dry powders over a large range of particles sizes and types at high concentrations with consistent deagglomeration efficiency was evaluated. Development of a pulsed-flow laboratory device and experimental approaches to meet the requirements without being g- dependent are described. Results of laboratory one-g quantitative characterization on one type of dry powder particle generator is discussed. Data from NASA low-g tests are summarized.

Fonda, Mark↗
NASA NTRS2004

Electrical Charging of Aerosols and Conductivity of Titan's Atmosphere

We have used recent data on graphitic cloud particles in the atmosphere of Titan to compute the electrical charging of the particles (radii ranging from 0.01 microns to 0.26 microns). The charging on the nightside was rather similar to that obtained earlier except that charge distributions on the particles are now computed and recently obtained cloud particle sizes and density distributions were employed. The negative charge on particles of 0.26 microns peaked at 9 at 150 km altitude. The computations were repeated for the dayside with the addition of photoelectron emission by the particles as a result of the absorption of solar UV radiation. Particles (except the very smallest) now became positively charged with particles of radius 0.26 microns being charged up to +47. Next, very small particles (radii approx. 3 x 10 (sup -4) microns) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were introduced and treated as sources of negative ions since they could be either neutral or carry one negative charge. Moreover, they are mobile so that they had to be treated like molecular size negative ions although much more massive. They had the effect of substantially reducing the electron densities in the altitude range 190 to 310 km to values less than the negative PAH densities and increasing the peak electron charge on the larger particles. Particles of radius 0.26 microns bore peak charges of approx. +47 at altitudes of approx. 250 km. The simulated effect of PAHs on the nightside proved to be much less pronounced; at the peak negative PAH density, it was less than the electron density. The physics governing these results will be discussed.

Borucki, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Characterization of Unsteady Flow Structures Near Leading-Edge Slat: PIV Measurements - Part 1

A comprehensive computational and experimental study has been performed at the NASA Langley Research Center as part of the Quiet Aircraft Technology (QAT) Program to investigate the unsteady flow near a leading-edge slat of a two-dimensional, high-lift system. This paper focuses on the experimental effort conducted in the NASA Langley Basic Aerodynamics Research Tunnel (BART) where Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) data was acquired in the slat cove and at the slat trailing edge of a three-element, high-lift model at 4, 6, and 8 degrees angle of attack and a freestream Mach Number of 0.17. Instantaneous velocities obtained from PIV images are used to obtain mean and fluctuating components of velocity and vorticity. The data show the recirculation in the cove, reattachment of the shear layer on the slat lower surface, and discrete vortical structures within the shear layer emanating from the slat cusp and slat trailing edge. Detailed measurements are used to examine the shear layer formation at the slat cusp, vortex shedding at the slat trailing edge, and convection of vortical structures through the slat gap. Selected results are discussed and compared with unsteady, Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) computations for the same configuration in a companion paper by Khorrami, Choudhari, and Jenkins (2004). The experimental dataset provides essential flow-field information for the validation of near-field inputs to noise prediction tools.

Jenkins, Luther N.↗
NASA NTRS2004

The Acoustic Analogy: A Powerful Tool in Aeroacoustics with Emphasis on Jet Noise Prediction

The acoustic analogy introduced by Lighthill to study jet noise is now over 50 years old. In the present paper, Lighthill s Acoustic Analogy is revisited together with a brief evaluation of the state-of-the-art of the subject and an exploration of the possibility of further improvements in jet noise prediction from analytical methods, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) predictions, and measurement techniques. Experimental Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) data is used both to evaluate turbulent statistics from Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) CFD and to propose correlation models for the Lighthill stress tensor. The NASA Langley Jet3D code is used to study the effect of these models on jet noise prediction. From the analytical investigation, a retarded time correction is shown that improves, by approximately 8 dB, the over-prediction of aft-arc jet noise by Jet3D. In experimental investigation, the PIV data agree well with the CFD mean flow predictions, with room for improvement in Reynolds stress predictions. Initial modifications, suggested by the PIV data, to the form of the Jet3D correlation model showed no noticeable improvements in jet noise prediction.

Farassat, F.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Investigating Tiltrotor Formation Flight via 1/48-Scale Wind Tunnel Experiment

This paper describes two small-scale wind tunnel tests conducted in the Army 7- by 10-Foot Wind Tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center. These tests featured two 1/48-scale V-22 models that were operated in a variety of simulated flight conditions including climb, descent, and level flight at various flight speeds and spatial separations. Forces and moments experienced by the trail aircraft were used to deduce the influence of the lead aircraft on the trail aircraft. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) data were collected to relate these forces and moments to features in the lead aircraft wake. In general, the roll moment on the trail aircraft is shown to be maximum when the aircraft are laterally offset by a full wingspan and the trail aircraft is vertically positioned so as to be in the wake of the lead aircraft. Furthermore, the roll moment is maximal when operating near 50 knots full-scale flight speed. Because the interaction persists far downstream and the vertical position of the wake is dependent on descent angle and flight speed, lateral separation has been determined to be the best means of avoiding adverse interactions between aircraft.

Romander, Ethan↗
NASA NTRS2008

The Large-Grained Dust Coma of 174P/Echeclus

On 2005 December 30, Y.-J. Choi and P. R. Weissman discovered that the formerly dormant Centaur 2000 EC98 was in strong outburst. Previous observations by P. Rousselot et al. spanning a 3-year period indicated a lack of coma down to the 27 mag arcsec 2 level.We present Spitzer Space Telescope MIPS observations of this newly active Centaur--now known as 174P/Echeclus (2000 EC98)--or 60558 Echeclus--taken in 2006 late February. The images show strong signal at both the 24 and 70 micron bands and reveal an extended coma about 2' in diameter. Analyses yield estimates of the coma signal contribution that are in excess of 90% of the total signal in the 24 micron band. Dust production estimates ranging from 1.7-4 x 10(exp 2) kg/s are on the order of 30 times that seen in other Centaurs. Simultaneous visible-wavelength observations were also obtained with Palomar Observatory's 200-inch telescope, the 1.8-m Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope, the Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory (BOAO) 1.8-m telescope, and Table Mountain Observatory's 0.6-m telescope, revealing a coma morphology nearly identical to the mid-IR observations. The grain size distribution derived from the data yields a log particle mass power-law with slope parameter (alpha) = -0.87 +/- 0.07, and is consistent with steady cometary-activity, such as that observed during the Stardust spacecraft's encounter at 81P/Wild 2, and not with an impact driven event, such as that caused by the Deep Impact experiment.

Bauer, James M.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Results from the Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (GCMS) Experiment on the Cassini-Huygens Probe

The Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer was one of six instruments on the Cassini-Huygens Probe mission to Titan. The GCMS measured in situ the chemical composition of the atmosphere during the probe descent and served as the detector for the pyrolization products for the Aerosol Collector Pyrolyser (ACP) experiment to determine the composition of the aerosol particles. The GCMS collected data from an altitude of 146 km to ground impact. The Probe and the GCMS survived impact and collected data for 1 hour and 9 minutes on the surface. Mass spectra were collected during descent and on the ground over a range of m/z from 2 to 141. The major constituents of the lower atmosphere were confirmed to be N2 and CH4. The methane mole fraction was uniform in the stratosphere. It increased below the tropopause, at about 32 km altitude, monotonically toward the surface, reaching a plateau at about 8 km at a level near saturation. After surface impact a steep increase of the methane signal was observed, suggesting evaporation of surface condensed methane due to heating by the GCMS sample inlet heater. The measured mole fraction of Ar-40 is 4.3x10(exp -5) and of Ar-36 is 2.8x10(exp -7). The other primordial noble gases were below 10(exp -8) mole fraction. The isotope ratios of C-12/C-13 determined from methane measurements are 82.3 and of N-14/N-15 determined from molecular nitrogen are 183. The D/H isotope ratio determined from the H2 and HD measurements is 2.3x10(exp -4). Carbon dioxide, methane, acetylene and cyanogen were detected evaporating from the surface in addition to methane. The GCMS employed a quadrupole mass filter with a secondary electron multiplier detection system and a gas sampling system providing continuous direct atmospheric composition measurements and batch sampling through three gas chromatographic (GC) columns, a chemical scrubber and a hydrocarbon enrichment cell. The GCMS gas inlet was heated to prevent condensation, and to evaporate volatiles from the surface after impact.

Niemann, H.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Results from the Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (GCMS) Experiment on the Cassini-Huygens Probe

The Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer was one of six instruments on the Cassini-Huygens Probe mission to Titan. The GCMS measured in situ the chemical composition of the atmosphere during the probe descent and served as the detector for the pyrolization products for the Aerosol Collector Pyrolyser (ACP) experiment to determine the composition of the aerosol particles. The GCMS collected data from an altitude of 146 km to ground impact. The Probe and the GCMS survived impact and collected data for 1 hour and 9 minutes on the surface. Mass spectra were collected during descent and on the ground over a range of mlz from 2 to 141. The major constituents of the lower atmosphere were confirmed to be N2 and CH4. The methane mole fraction was uniform in the stratosphere. It increased below the tropopause, at about 32 km altitude, monotonically toward the surface, reaching a plateau at about 8 km at a level near saturation. After surface impact a steep increase of the methane signal was observed, suggesting evaporation of surface condensed methane due to heating by the GCMS sample inlet heater. The measured mole fraction of Ar-40 is 4.3x10(exp -5) and of Ar-36 is 2.8x10(exp -7). The other primordial noble gases were below 10(exp -8) mole fraction. The isotope ratios of C-12/C-13 determined from methane measurements are 82.3 and of N-14/N-15 determined from molecular nitrogen are 183. The D/H isotope ratio determined from the H2 and HD measurements is 2.3x10(exp -4). Carbon dioxide, ethane, acetylene and cyanogen were detected evaporating from the surface in addition to methane. The GCMS employed a quadrupole mass filter with a secondary electron multiplier detection system and a gas sampling system providing continuous direct atmospheric composition measurements and batch sampling through three gas chromatographic (GC) columns, a chemical scrubber and a hydrocarbon enrichment cell. The GCMS gas inlet was heated to prevent condensation, and to evaporate volatiles from the surface after impact.

Niemann, Hasso↗
NASA NTRS2007

All-Particle Spectrum Measured by the ATIC Experiment

The Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter (ATIC), a balloon-borne experiment, is designed to investigate the composition and energy spectra of cosmic rays of charge Z = 1 to 26 over the energy range - 10(exp 11) - 10(exp 14) ev. The instrument consists of a silicon matrix charge detector, plastic-scintillator strip hodoscopes interleaved with graphite interaction targets, and an 18 radiation length deep, fully active bismuth germanate (BGO) calorimeter. ATIC has had two successful long duration balloon (LDB) flights launched from McMurdo Station, Antarc't'ica in 2000 and 2002. In this paper, we present the all-particle spectrum extracted from data collected during the ATIC flights, and compare it with results from other experiments at both lower and higher energies.

Ahn, H. S.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Prognostics for Electronics Components of Avionics Systems

Electronics components have and increasingly critical role in avionics systems and for the development of future aircraft systems. Prognostics of such components is becoming a very important research filed as a result of the need to provide aircraft systems with system level health management. This paper reports on a prognostics application for electronics components of avionics systems, in particular, its application to the Isolated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT). The remaining useful life prediction for the IGBT is based on the particle filter framework, leveraging data from an accelerated aging tests on IGBTs. The accelerated aging test provided thermal-electrical overstress by applying thermal cycling to the device. In-situ state monitoring, including measurements of the steady-state voltages and currents, electrical transients, and thermal transients are recorded and used as potential precursors of failure.

Celaya, Jose R.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Energetic O+ and H+ Ions in the Plasma Sheet: Implications for the Transport of Ionospheric Ions

The present study statistically examines the characteristics of energetic ions in the plasma sheet using the Geotail/Energetic Particle and Ion Composition data. An emphasis is placed on the O+ ions, and the characteristics of the H+ ions are used as references. The following is a summary of the results. (1) The average O+ energy is lower during solar maximum and higher during solar minimum. A similar tendency is also found for the average H+ energy, but only for geomagnetically active times; (2) The O+ -to -H+ ratios of number and energy densities are several times higher during solar maximum than during solar minimum; (3) The average H+ and O+ energies and the O+ -to -H+ ratios of number and energy densities all increase with geomagnetic activity. The differences among different solar phases not only persist but also increase with increasing geomagnetic activity; (4) Whereas the average H+ energy increases toward Earth, the average O+ energy decreases toward Earth. The average energy increases toward dusk for both the H+ and O+ ions; (5) The O+ -to -H+ ratios of number and energy densities increase toward Earth during all solar phases, but most clearly during solar maximum. These results suggest that the solar illumination enhances the ionospheric outflow more effectively with increasing geomagnetic activity and that a significant portion of the O+ ions is transported directly from the ionosphere to the near ]Earth region rather than through the distant tail.

Ohtani, S.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Wind-US Code Contributions to the First AIAA Shock Boundary Layer Interaction Prediction Workshop

This report discusses the computations of a set of shock wave/turbulent boundary layer interaction (SWTBLI) test cases using the Wind-US code, as part of the 2010 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) shock/boundary layer interaction workshop. The experiments involve supersonic flows in wind tunnels with a shock generator that directs an oblique shock wave toward the boundary layer along one of the walls of the wind tunnel. The Wind-US calculations utilized structured grid computations performed in Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes mode. Four turbulence models were investigated: the Spalart-Allmaras one-equation model, the Menter Baseline and Shear Stress Transport k-omega two-equation models, and an explicit algebraic stress k-omega formulation. Effects of grid resolution and upwinding scheme were also considered. The results from the CFD calculations are compared to particle image velocimetry (PIV) data from the experiments. As expected, turbulence model effects dominated the accuracy of the solutions with upwinding scheme selection indicating minimal effects.

Georgiadis, Nicholas J.↗