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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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Heat rejection system requirements of specific mission types (space station, planetary exploration, commercial, very high power, and military missions) are discussed. Heat pipe radiators, weight and volume reduction, stable coatings, and working fluids are addressed.
The thrust of the present work is to explore the utility of using a sum of sinusoids (seven or more) to obtain an evoked response and, furthermore, to see if the response is sensitive to changes in cognitive processing. Within the field of automatic control system technology, a mathematical input/output relationship for a sinusoidally stimulated nonlinear system is defined as describing function. Applying this technology, sum of sines inputs to yield describing functions for the visual-cortical response have been designed. What follows is a description of the method used to obtain visual-cortical describing functions. A number of measurement system redesigns were necessary to achieve the desired frequency resolution. Results that guided and came out of the redesigns are presented. Preliminary results of stimulus parameter effects (average intensity and depth of modulation) are also shown.
The Process Thresholds Working Group concerned itself with whether a geomorphic process to be monitored on satellite imagery must be global, regional, or local in its effect on the landscape. It was pointed out that major changes in types and magnitudes of processes operating in an area are needed to be detectable on a global scale. It was concluded from a review of geomorphic studies which used satellite images that they do record change in landscape over time (on a time-lapse basis) as a result of one or more processes. In fact, this may be one of the most important attributes of space imagery, in that one can document land form changes in the form of a permanent historical record. The group also discussed the important subject of the acquisition of basic data sets by different satellite imaging systems. Geomorphologists already have available one near-global basis data set resulting from the early LANDSAT program, especially images acquired by LANDSATs 1 and 2. Such historic basic data sets can serve as a benchmark for comparison with landscape changes that take place in the future. They can also serve as a benchmark for comparison with landscape changes that have occurred in the past (as recorded) by images, photography and maps.
Telepresence has been used in the context of the ultimate in remote manipulation where the operator is provided with the sensory feedback and control to perform highly dexterous tasks. The concept of a Telepresence Work Station (TWS) for operation in space is described. System requirements, concepts, and a development approach are discussed. The TWS has the potential for application on the Space Shuttle, on the Orbit Maneuver Vehicle, on an Orbit Transfer Vehicle, and on the Space Station. The TWS function is to perform satellite servicing tasks and construction and assembly operations in the buildup of large spacecraft. The basic concept is a pair of dexterous arms controlled from a remote station by an operation with feedback. It may be evolved through levels of supervisory control to a smart adaptive robotic system.
In an attempt to provide a set of accurate standard test problems for computational code developers, a series of inviscid airfoil test cases were chosen by the AGARD Working Group 07, a subpanel of the AGARD Fluid Dynamics Panel. The cases include three different airfoils at transonic to supersonic conditions. A large number of international experts responded in this effort with computations that have been contrasted for accuracy and consistency. This paper is a summary of the authors' contribution to this study. In particular, the important aspects of the solution process that made it possible to obtain the high level of accuracy needed in this study are stressed.
It is pointed out that some important agricultural crops show heliotropic leaf movements. In these species, the proclivity of leaves to orient either perpendicularly or parallel or in some combination of these positions with respect to the sun is controlled by the leaf turgor and the availability of water. Such an orientational response is particularly noticeable for cotton. Schutt et al. (1985) have detailed leaf trajectories using three angles. The present investigation applies the three-angle representation to leaf trajectory mapping and to the calculation of the phase angle 'gamma' between the individual leaf normals and the solar direction. Using gamma, the thermodynamic work and entropy functions are evaluated and used to distinguish between the behavior of water-stressed and well watered cotton canopies.
Currently there is renewed interest in the evaluation and reduction of steady wind tunnel wall interference, especially for large models. Evaluation of previous predictions for perforated and slotted tunnels suggests that a hybrid slotted tunnel (i.e., a slotted tunnel with closed slats and perforated slots) should offer minimum corrections for upwash, flow curvature and solid blockage. This suggestion is confirmed by the present computer studies of a range of rectangular hybrid slotted tunnels. The computer studies are for tunnel working section height to breadth ratios of 0.835 and 0.600 over the Mach number range from 0 to 0.85. Wings swept at 28 deg and 50 deg, with ratios of model span to tunnel breadth varying from 0 to 0.7, are considered. An idealized fuselage shape is used to predict solid and wake blockage corrections for the wall configurations selected on the basis of minimum upwash and curvature interference.
Work station for video displays and keyboards adaptable to operational and anthropometric requirements of individual operators. Visual displays placed beyond keyboard and in line with inclination of keyboard to minimize operator's head movement. In addition, station arranged so operator's eyes and hands focus onto three primary control and display areas. Quickens operating response and decreases chance of error, since input devices and feedback to operator are collocated.
The working group on Multiple Beams and Funneling discussed various topics related to multiple beams and funneling, including (1) design considerations for multiple-beam accelerators; (2) scaling of current, emittance, and brightness for multiple-beam systems; (3) funneling lines using either discrete components or a radiofrequency quadrupole (RFQ) funneling structure; and (4) alternatives to funneling.
Siloxane-based working fluids for advanced space radiators requiring direct fluid exposure to the space environment are evaluated. Isolation of five candidate fluids by vacuum distillation from existing siloxane polymers is discussed. The five fluids recovered include a polydimethylsiloxane, three phenyl-containing siloxanes, and a methylhexylsiloxane. Vapor pressures and viscosities for the five fluids are reported over the temperature range of 250 to 400 K. Use of thermal-gravimetric analysis to reliably estimate vapor pressures of 10 to the -8 power Pascals is described. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polymethylphenylsiloxane (PMPS) are selected from the five candidate fluids based on favorable vapor pressure and viscosity, as well as perceived stability in low-Earth orbit environments. Characterization of these fluids by infrared spectroscopy, Si-29 NMR, gel-permeation chromatography, and liquid chromatography is presented. Both fluids consist of narrow molecular weight distributions, with average molecular weights of about 2500 for PDMS and 1300 for PMPS.
When the polycondensation of amino acid acylates was catalyzed with Na-montmorillonite, the polypeptides were consistently found to exhibit a distribution of discrete molecular weights, for as yet undiscovered reasons. One possible explanation was connected to the stepwise mode of monomer addition. New experiments have eliminated this possibility, so that there is the general assumption that this discreteness is the result of a preference of shorter oligomers to add to others of the same length, a feature that could be attributed to some structure of the platelet aggregates of the montmorillonite. The production of optical stereoisomers is anticipated when D,L-amino acids are polymerized on montmorillonite. Having used an optically active surface, the essence of the results lies not only in the occurrence of optically active oligomers and polymers, but also in the fact that the latter exhibit the same molecular weight characteristics as the D,L-polymers. Preparatory to work contemplated on a parallel synthesis of amino acid and nucleotide oligomers, studies were continued on the co-adsorption of amino acids, nucleotides, and amino acid-nucleotides on montmorillonite.
The results obtained on the AS 07 wing and the working section walls for three types of configurations are reported. The first, called non-adapted, corresponds to the divergent upper and lower rectilinear walls which compensate for limit layer thickening. It can serve as a basis for complete flow calculations. The second configuration corresponds to wall shapes determined from calculations which tend to minimize interference at the level of the fuselage. Finally, the third configuration, called two-dimensional adaptation, uses the standard method for T2 profile tests. This case was tested to determine the influence of wall shape and error magnitude. These results are not sufficient to validate the three-dimensional adaptation; they must be coordinated with calculations or with unlimited atmosphere tests.
Presented are the mechanical properties and the stress corrosion resistance of triple melted vacuum induction melted (VIM), electro-slag remelted (ESR), and vacuum arc remelted (VAR), solution treated, work strengthened and direct double aged Inconel 718 alloy bars 4.00 in. (10.16) and 5.75 in. (14.60 cm) diameter. Tensile, charpy v-notched impact, and compact tension specimens were tested at ambient temperature in both the longitudinal and transverse directions. Longitudinal tensile and yield strengths in excess of 220 ksi (1516.85 MPa) and 200 ksi (1378.00 MPa) respectively, were realized at ambient temperature. Additional charpy impact and compact tension tests were performed at -100 F (-73 C). Longitudinal charpy impact strength equalled or exceeded 12.0 ft-lbs (16.3 Joules) at ambient and at -100 F(-73 C) while longitudinal compact (LC) tension fracture toughness strength remained above 79 ksi (86.80 MPa) at ambient and at -100 F(-73 C) temperatures. No failures occurred in the longitudinal or transverse tensile specimens stressed to 75 and 100 percent of their respective yield strengths and exposed to a salt fog environment for 180 days. Tensile tests performed after the stress corrosion test indicated no mechanical property degradation.
The Space Station Program (SSP) will consist, in part, of a permanently orbiting facility composed of a mix of manned and unmanned elements. To insure that such a facility will be an operationally viable and productive one, capable of performing a myriad of assigned missions, special attention must be given to the following operational disciplines during the design and development of the SSP systems and subsystems: (1) Automation/Autonomy, (2) Customer Interfaces/Operations, (3) Habitability/Crew Productivity, (4) Maintainability, and (5) Logistics. In order to properly address these disciplines, from an operations point of view, the Director of the Space Station Task Force (SSTF) formed the Operations Working Group (OWG) in July 1982, and chartered this group to develop the top level operational technical and management-approach philosophies and requirements for the SSP. This paper attempts to summarize the results and conclusions reached by the OWG after an 18 month intensive study effort.
High productivity requires that manipulators perform complex tasks quickly. Recently, optimal control algorithms have been developed which enable manipulators to move quickly, but only for simple motions. A method is presented here which combines simple time optimal motions in an optimal manner to yield the minimum time motions for an important class of complex manipulator tasks composed of point to point moves, such as assembly, electronic component insertion and spot welding. This method can also be used to design manipulator actions and work places so that tasks can be completd in minimum time. The method has been implemented in a CAD software package. Examples are presented which show the methods effectiveness.
The working group agreed that the first (primary) objective should be the determination of methods for the accurate measurement of total rain water and total cloud water with passive microwave methods. There was no argument on the points concerning nonlinear relationships between T sub B and rain rate (R) over the range of important rain rates (half of oceanic rainfall occurs at rates greater than 15 mm h-1), such that variations in rain rate within a footprint lead to an incorrect measurement of the average rate for that footprint, and one cannot determine the characteristics of the sensed rain area. This is especially true near 18 GHz, where the dynamic range above 15 mm h-1 is very small because this frequency does not clearly fall in either a scattering regime or emissive regime at these wavelengths. It is also not clear whether very low frequency (emissive) techniques will be the best at measuring rain processes, or high frequency (scattering) techniques, where precipitation-size ice plays a major role in the signal attenuation. It is still not known what signal of rain is at certain rates on an observational basis because of the many different conditions that can exist within a single satellite observed footprint.
The papers presented by the working group on Manned Mars Missions are given. The purpose is to update earlier Mars missions study data, to examine the impact of new and emerging technologies on Mars mission capabilities, and to identify technological issues that would be useful in projecting scientific and engineering research in the coming decades. The papers are grouped into nine sections, which are: (1) rationale; (2) transportation trades and issues; (3) mission and configuration concepts; (4) surface infrastructure; (5) science investigations and issues; (6) life science/medical issues; (7) subsystems and technology development requirements; (8) political and economic issues; and (9) impact on other programs.
The results of detailed cost estimates and economic analysis performed on the updated Model 101 configuration of the general purpose Aft Cargo Carrier (ACC) are given. The objective of this economic analysis is to provide the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with information on the economics of using the ACC on the Space Transportation System (STS). The detailed cost estimates for the ACC are presented by a work breakdown structure (WBS) to ensure that all elements of cost are considered in the economic analysis and related subsystem trades. Costs reported by WBS provide NASA with a basis for comparing competing designs and provide detailed cost information that can be used to forecast phase C/D planning for new projects or programs derived from preliminary conceptual design studies. The scope covers all STS and STS/ACC launch vehicle cost impacts for delivering payloads to a 160 NM low Earth orbit (LEO).