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At least 865 records · Page 48

Scanning System for Laser Velocimeter

Interference fringes remain parallel and focus-spot diameter same. Scanning system proposed for laser velocimeter (laser Doppler anemometer) to maintain constant beam-crossing angle and beam-waist diameter maintaining beam waist locations at crossing points. As target fluid scanned, interference fringes formed by crossing beams remain parallel and the focus-spot diameter same. System allows accurate velocity profiles obtained in wind tunnels and other fluid flow systems.

Gunter, William D.↗

Scanning seismic intrusion detection method and apparatus

An intrusion monitoring system includes an array of seismic sensors, such as geophones, arranged along a perimeter to be monitored for unauthorized intrusion as by surface movement or tunneling. Two wires lead from each sensor to a central monitoring station. The central monitoring station has three modes of operation. In a first mode of operation, the output of all of the seismic sensors is summed into a receiver for amplification and detection. When the amplitude of the summed signals exceeds a certain predetermined threshold value an alarm is sounded. In a second mode of operation, the individual output signals from the sensors are multiplexed into the receiver for sequentially interrogating each of the sensors.

Lee, R. D.↗

Projection optics for a laser velocimeter

Projection optics for laser velocimeter (LV) scans constant focal volume over entire focus-position range. Optics thus simplify LV measurements over large flow fields (such as those encountered in wind tunnels) by eliminating calibrations required when focal volume varies with position.

Rhodes, D. B.↗

A feasibility test of the laser velocimeter in the Mach 5 nozzle test chamber

A one-component, fringe type laser velocimeter in the backscatter mode was used to measure flow velocities from 732 to 792 m/sec about a shock from an inclined flat plate in a Mach 5 tunnel. This test was chosen to determine system characteristics in applying the laser velocimeter to measure velocities in hypersonic flow fields. The seeding particles, less than 20 microns in diameter, were injected into the tunnel supply pipe, approximately 1 meter upstream of the nozzle throat, through a rake along the diameter. The LV signals were processed by two methods, a scanning spectrum analyzer and a high-speed counter. The measured velocity distributions obtained were analyzed to determine the errors due to particle lag, transit time broadening and high-speed counter quantizing error.

Meyers, J. F.↗

Electronically-Scanned Pressure Sensors

Sensors not pneumatically switched. Electronic pressure-transducer scanning system constructed in modular form. Pressure transducer modules and analog to digital converter module small enough to fit within cavities of average-sized wind-tunnel models. All switching done electronically. Temperature controlled environment maintained within sensor modules so accuracy maintained while ambient temperature varies.

Coe, C. F.↗

Measurements in the flow field of a cylinder with a laser transit anemometer and a drag rake in the Langley 0.3 m transonic cryogenic tunnel

An experiment was conducted at the 0.3 m Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel using a Laser Transit Anemometer (LTA) to probe the flow field around a 3.05 centimeter-diameter circular cylinder. Measurements were made along the stagnation line and determination of particle size was evaluated by their ability to follow the flow field. The LTA system was also used to scan into the boundary layer near the 45 degree point on the model. Results of these scans are presented in graphic and tabular form. Flow field particle seeding was accomplished by inbleeding dry service air. The residual moisture (5-10 ppm) condensed and formed ice particles which served as Mie scattering centers for the LTA detection system. Comparison of data taken along the stagnation streamline with theory indicated that these particles tracked the velocity gradient of the flow. Tunnel operating conditions for the tests were a Mach number of 0.3, a pressure of 1.93 x 100000 n/m squared, and a temperature of 225 degrees K. Free stream Mach number and pressure were varied for the particle size determination.

Honaker, W. C.↗

Cation reordering instead of phase transitions: Origins and implications of contrasting lithiation mechanisms in 1D ζ- and 2D α-V 2 O 5

Substantial improvements in cycle life, rate performance, accessible voltage, and reversible capacity are required to realize the promise of Li-ion batteries in full measure. Here, we have examined insertion electrodes of the same composition (V 2 O 5 ) prepared according to the same electrode specifications and comprising particles with similar dimensions and geometries that differ only in terms of their atomic connectivity and crystal structure, specifically two-dimensional (2D) layered α-V 2 O 5 that crystallizes in an orthorhombic space group and one-dimensional (1D) tunnel-structured ζ-V 2 O 5 crystallized in a monoclinic space group. By using particles of similar dimensions, we have disentangled the role of specific structural motifs and atomistic diffusion pathways in affecting electrochemical performance by mapping the dynamical evolution of lithiation-induced structural modifications using ex situ scanning transmission X-ray microscopy, operando synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements, and phase-field modeling. We find the operation of sharply divergent mechanisms to accommodate increasing concentrations of Li-ions: a series of distortive phase transformations that result in puckering and expansion of interlayer spacing in layered α-V 2 O 5 , as compared with cation reordering along interstitial sites in tunnel-structured ζ-V 2 O 5 . By alleviating distortive phase transformations, the ζ-V 2 O 5 cathode shows reduced voltage hysteresis, increased Li-ion diffusivity, alleviation of stress gradients, and improved capacity retention. The findings demonstrate that alternative lithiation mechanisms can be accessed in metastable compounds by dint of their reconfigured atomic connectivity and can unlock substantially improved electrochemical performance not accessible in the thermodynamically stable phase.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Measurement of Model Noise in a Hard-Wall Wind Tunnel

Identification, analysis, and control of fluid-mechanically-generated sound from models of aircraft and automobiles in special low-noise, semi-anechoic wind tunnels are an important research endeavor. Such studies can also be done in aerodynamic wind tunnels that have hard walls if phased microphone arrays are used to focus on the noise-source regions and reject unwanted reflections or background noise. Although it may be difficult to simulate the total flyover or drive-by noise in a closed wind tunnel, individual noise sources can be isolated and analyzed. An acoustic and aerodynamic study was made of a 7-percent-scale aircraft model in a NASA Ames 7-by-10-ft (about 2-by-3-m) wind tunnel for the purpose of identifying and attenuating airframe noise sources. Simulated landing, takeoff, and approach configurations were evaluated at Mach 0.26. Using a phased microphone array mounted in the ceiling over the inverted model, various noise sources in the high-lift system, landing gear, fins, and miscellaneous other components were located and compared for sound level and frequency at one flyover location. Numerous noise-alleviation devices and modifications of the model were evaluated. Simultaneously with acoustic measurements, aerodynamic forces were recorded to document aircraft conditions and any performance changes caused by geometric modifications. Most modern microphone-array systems function in the frequency domain in the sense that spectra of the microphone outputs are computed, then operations are performed on the matrices of microphone-signal cross-spectra. The entire acoustic field at one station in such a system is acquired quickly and interrogated during postprocessing. Beam-forming algorithms are employed to scan a plane near the model surface and locate noise sources while rejecting most background noise and spurious reflections. In the case of the system used in this study, previous studies in the wind tunnel have identified noise sources up to 19 dB below the normal background noise of the wind tunnel. Theoretical predictions of array performance are used to minimize the width and the side lobes of the beam pattern of the microphone array for a given test arrangement. To capture flyover noise of the inverted model, a 104-element microphone array in a 622-mm-diameter cluster was installed in a 19-mm-thick poly(methyl methacrylate) plate in the ceiling of the test section of the wind tunnel above the aircraft model (see Figure 1). The microphones were of the condenser type, and their diaphragms were mounted flush in the array plate, which was recessed 12.7 mm into the ceiling and covered by a porous aromatic polyamide cloth (not shown in the figure) to minimize boundary-layer noise. This design caused the level of flow noise to be much less than that of flush-mount designs. The drawback of this design was that the cloth attenuated sound somewhat and created acoustic resonances that could grow to several dB at a frequency of 10 kHz.

Soderman, Paul T.↗

Space-Charge-Limited van der Waals Spin Transistor

Integrating semiconducting and magnetic materials could combine transistorlike operation with nonvolatility and enable architectures such as logic in memory. Here, in this work, we employ correlated electrical transport and scanning nitrogen-vacancy center magnetic imaging to elucidate a spin transistor concept that amalgamates vertical and lateral hopping transport inside a 2D antiferromagnetic semiconductor, mechanistically distinct from vertical tunneling devices. Our device, based on a monolayer-bilayer junction in CrSBr, displays giant, gate-tunable magnetoresistance driven by the dual action of electrostatic doping on space-charge-limited lateral conduction and interlayer exchange coupling. Moreover, we visualize a field-trainable, layer-sharing effect that selects between coherent or domain-wall reversal at the spin-flip transition, enabling multilevel, memristive conductance states. Our layer-dependent space charge mechanism for convergent electrical and magnetic control opens opportunities to address limitations in contemporary computing.

2-dimensional systems↗

Pulse shaping in strong-field ionization: Theory and experiments

Intense ultrafast pulses cause dissociative ionization and shaping the pulses may allow control of both electronic and nuclear dynamics that determine ion yields. We report on a combined experimental and theoretical effort to determine how shaped laser pulses affect tunnel ionization, the process that precedes many strong-field phenomena. We carried out experiments on Ar, N 2 , H 2 O, and O 2 using a phase-step function of amplitude 3/4π that is scanned across the spectrum of the pulse. In addition, we changed the amount of chirp in the pulses. Semiclassical as well as fully quantum mechanical time-dependent Schrödinger equation calculations are found to be in excellent agreement with experimental results. We find that precise knowledge of the field parameters in the time and frequency domains is essential to afford reproducible results and quantitative theory and experiment comparisons.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Direct observation of the optical plasma resonance of Ag by photon-assisted tunneling

Photon-assisted tunneling is proposed for the investigation of optical plasma resonances; this is demonstrated by the direct observation of the Ag resonance in appropriate Ag-Al2O3-Al structures. A spectral scan of the ratio of the signals photoinduced by the p and s polarizations shows a large enhancement corresponding to the plasma resonance of Ag.

Jain, R. K.↗

Pair wave function symmetry in UTe2 from zero-energy surface state visualization

Although nodal spin-triplet topological superconductivity appears probable in uranium ditelluride (UTe 2 ), its superconductive order parameter Δ k remains unestablished. In theory, a distinctive identifier would be the existence of a superconductive topological surface band, which could facilitate zero-energy Andreev tunneling to an s-wave superconductor and also distinguish a chiral from a nonchiral Δ k through enhanced s-wave proximity. In this study, we used s-wave superconductive scan tips and detected intense zero-energy Andreev conductance at the UTe 2 (0-11) termination surface. Imaging revealed subgap quasiparticle scattering interference signatures with a-axis orientation. The observed zero-energy Andreev peak splitting with enhanced s-wave proximity signifies that Δ k of UTe 2 is a nonchiral state: B 1u , B 2u , or B 3u . However, if the quasiparticle scattering along the a axis is internodal, then a nonchiral B 3u state is the most consistent for UTe 2 .

Gu, Qiangqiang [Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United ↗

Application of laser velocimetry to aircraft wake-vortex measurements

The theory and use of a laser velocimeter that makes simultaneous measurements of vertical and longitudinal velocities while rapidly scanning a flow field laterally are described, and its direct application to trailing wake-vortex research is discussed. Pertinent measurements of aircraft wake-vortex velocity distributions obtained in a wind tunnel and water towing tank are presented. The utility of the velocimeter to quantitatively assess differences in wake velocity distributions due to wake dissipating devices and span loading changes on the wake-generating model is also demonstrated.

Ciffone, D. L.↗

Further Examinations of Bimodal SLD Ice Accretion in the NASA Icing Research Tunnel

An ice shape database has been created to document ice accretions on a 72-inch chord NACA 23012 airfoil model resulting from an exposure to a Supercooled Large Drop (SLD) icing cloud with a bimodal drop size distribution. The ice shapes created were documented with photographs, laser scanned surface measurements over a section of the model span, and measurement of the ice mass over the same section of each accretion. The icing conditions used in the test matrix were based upon previously measured ice shapes on the same model to connect the current database to previously measured information. Ice shapes resulting from the bimodal distribution as well as from equivalent mono-modal drop size distributions were obtained and compared. Results indicate that the ice shapes resulting from the bimodal drop size distributions had higher mass and volume values than their mono-modal distribution equivalents as well as having icing limits that extended further back on the chord of the model.

Aircraft↗

A Fully Nonmetallic Gas Turbine Engine Enabled by Additive Manufacturing, Part II: Additive Manufacturing and Characterization of Polymer Composites

This publication is the second part of the three part report of the project entitled "A Fully Nonmetallic Gas Turbine Engine Enabled by Additive Manufacturing" funded by NASA Aeronautics Research Institute (NARI). The objective of this project was to conduct additive manufacturing to produce aircraft engine components by Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), using commercially available polyetherimides-Ultem 9085 and experimental Ultem 1000 mixed with 10% chopped carbon fiber. A property comparison between FDM-printed and injection molded coupons for Ultem 9085, Ultem 1000 resin and the fiber-filled composite Ultem 1000 was carried out. Furthermore, an acoustic liner was printed from Ultem 9085 simulating conventional honeycomb structured liners and tested in a wind tunnel. Composite compressor inlet guide vanes were also printed using fiber-filled Ultem 1000 filaments and tested in a cascade rig. The fiber-filled Ultem 1000 filaments and composite vanes were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and acid digestion to determine the porosity of FDM-printed articles which ranged from 25 to 31%. Coupons of Ultem 9085, experimental Ultem 1000 composites and XH6050 resin were tested at room temperature and 400F to evaluate their corresponding mechanical properties. A preliminary modeling was also initiated to predict the mechanical properties of FDM-printed Ultem 9085 coupons in relation to varied raster angles and void contents, using the GRC-developed MAC/GMC program.

Polymer↗

Additive Manufacturing of Ultem Polymers and Composites

The objective of this project was to conduct additive manufacturing to produce aircraft engine components by Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), using commercially available polyetherimdes Ultem 9085 and experimental Ultem 1000 filled with 10 chopped carbon fiber. A property comparison between FDM-printed and injection molded coupons for Ultem 9085, Ultem 1000 resin and the fiber-filled composite Ultem 1000 was carried out. Furthermore, an acoustic liner was printed from Ultem 9085 simulating conventional honeycomb structured liners and tested in a wind tunnel. Composite compressor inlet guide vanes were also printed using fiber-filled Ultem 1000 filaments and tested in a cascade rig. The fiber-filled Ultem 1000 filaments and composite vanes were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and acid digestion to determine the porosity of FDM-printed articles which ranged from 25-31. Coupons of Ultem 9085, experimental Ultem 1000 composites and XH6050 resin were tested at room temperature and 400F to evaluate their corresponding mechanical properties.

Polymer↗

Additive Manufacturing and Characterization of Ultem Polymers and Composites

The objective of this project was to conduct additive manufacturing to produce aircraft engine components by Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), using commercially available polyetherimides - Ultem 9085 and experimental Ultem 1000 mixed with 10 percent chopped carbon fiber. A property comparison between FDM-printed and injection-molded coupons for Ultem 9085, Ultem 1000 resin and the fiber-filled composite Ultem 1000 was carried out. Furthermore, an acoustic liner was printed from Ultem 9085 simulating conventional honeycomb structured liners and tested in a wind tunnel. Composite compressor inlet guide vanes were also printed using fiber-filled Ultem 1000 filaments and tested in a cascade rig. The fiber-filled Ultem 1000 filaments and composite vanes were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and acid digestion to determine the porosity of FDM-printed articles which ranged from 25-31 percent. Coupons of Ultem 9085 and experimental Ultem 1000 composites were tested at room temperature and 400 degrees Fahrenheit to evaluate their corresponding mechanical properties.

Polymers↗

Airfoil wake vortex characteristics in the far field

Tangential and axial velocity profiles were measured in the far field wake vortices of several different airfoils. The results are summarized and discussed. A scanning laser velocimeter was used to obtain data up to 1000 chord lengths behind airfoils with rectangular, diamond-shaped, and swept wing planforms at several different angles of attack. The results show general agreement with wind tunnel measurements made in the near field. The results identify two separate flow regions for the dependence of vortex maximum tangential velocity on downstream distance; an inviscid region where the velocity remains constant after rollup to downstream distances of 200 chord lengths, and then a decay or viscous region that persisted to the limit of the test distance. The decay rates appear to be sensitive to both angle of attack and span loading. The maximum tangential velocity for downstream distances to 40 span lengths was reduced by a factor of 2 by changing from an elliptic (swept wing) or rectangular span loading to a triangular-like span loading (diamond-shaped planform wing). Measured axial velocity defects are shown to agree with those predicted by laminar theory.

Orloff, K. L.↗