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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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1978

Long-duration high-efficiency operation of a continuously pulsed copper laser utilizing copper bromide as a lasant

A copper laser utilizing copper bromide as a lasant and neon as the buffer gas has been operated at an average laser power of between 16 and 19.5 W for a period of 68 h. Lasing was attained at a pulsing rate of 16.7 kHz in a quartz discharge tube 2.5-cm in diameter with an electrode separation of 200 cm. The laser energy/pulse and peak power/pulse corresponding to an average power of 19.5 W are 1.2 mJ and 30 kW, respectively. The ratio of laser power at 510.6 and 578.2 nm varied from 3.9 to 1.1 corresponding to a total average laser power of 4 and 18 W, respectively. The highest wall plug and capacitor efficiency measured during 68 h of operation were 0.7 and 1.1%, respectively.

Chen, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Spectral properties of gaseous uranium hexafluoride at high temperature

A study to determine relative spectral emission and spectral absorption data for UF6-argon mixtures at elevated temperatures is discussed. These spectral data are required to assist in the theoretical analysis of radiation transport in the nuclear fuel-buffer gas region of a plasma core reactor. Relative emission measurements were made for UF6-argon mixtures over a range of temperatures from 650 to 1900 K and in the wavelength range from 600 to 5000 nanometers. All emission results were determined for a total pressure of 1.0 atm. Uranium hexafluoride partial pressures varied from about 3.5 to 12.7 mm Hg. Absorption measurements were attempted at 600, 625, 650 and 675 nanometers for a temperature of 1000 K. The uranium partial pressure for these determinations was 25 mm Hg. The results exhibit appreciable emission for hot UF6-argon mixtures at wavelengths between 600 and 1800 nanometers and no measurable absorption. The equipment used to evaluate the spectral properties of the UF6-argon mixtures included a plasma torch-optical plenum assembly, the monochromator, and the UF6 transfer system. Each is described.

Krascella, N. L.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Na + Xe collisions in the presence of two nonresonant lasers

Na+Xe collisions in the presence of two distinct laser fields (rhodamine 110 and Nd:glass) are investigated with reference to the response to nonresonant radiation of alkali metals collisionally perturbed by a buffer gas. It is found that the excited Na-asterisk (4s)+Xe state is produced with a measurable cross section due to two-photon absorption with field intensities as low as 10 MW/sq cm.

De Vries, P. L.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Multiple-path fission-foil nuclear lasing of Ar-Xe

Nuclear lasing of Ar 10% Xe at 760 torr with a thermal neutron flux of 3.5 x 10 to the 16th n/sq cm s has produced an output power of 50 W. Lasing occurred at 2.6 microns in Xe-I. The argon buffer gas is shown to efficiently stop fission fragments at reasonable pressures emitted from (U-235)3O8 coatings. A unique folded optical path was used to increase the excited gas volume which in turn increases laser output.

De Young, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Method and apparatus for convection control of metallic halide vapor density in a metallic halide laser

An apparatus is disclosed in which a reservoir containing copper chloride is heated so that the copper chloride is maintained in a liquid form. The apparatus includes a means for flowing a buffer gas (which in the exemplary embodiment is neon) over the liquid copper chloride to provide a mixture of copper chloride vapor and neon above the liquid copper chloride. A conduit provides fluid communication between the reservoir containing the copper chloride vapor/neon mixture and the laser. The copper chloride vapor density in the laser is related to the liquid copper chloride temperature and the neon flow rate through the reservoir. In accordance with a further feature of the exemplary embodiment, neon is also provided directly to the laser in order to provide a further means of controlling the copper chloride vapor density in the laser.

Pivirotto, T. J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Flashlamp-pumped iodine monobromide laser characteristics

The operating characteristics of a flashlamp-pumped IBr laser were investigated to evaluate its suitability for solar-pumped laser applications. A peak power of 350 W/sq cm at 2.7 microns was achieved at 12-torr IBr pressure. At 500-J flashlamp energy, the IBr output saturated; a gain of 0.17% per cm was measured for IBr. Neon was found to be effective for enhancing the recombination of the photodissociation products. With neon as a buffer gas, the laser pulse length was extended to 53 microsec. The termination of the laser pulse, within the flashlamp pulse, is thought to be due to the temperature rise in the gas. Increasing the IBr initial temperature decreased the lasing output. At 300 C, output dropped to approximately one-half the room temperature value. The dominant quencher is thought to be atomic iodine. IBr was found to couple better to the flashlamp energy than C3F7I.

Zapata, L. E.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Comments on laser-excited fluorescence of the hydroxyl radical: Relaxation coefficients at atmospheric pressure, appendix 5

The lifetime of the excited state of a atom or molecule is often determined from the rate of fluorescence decay originating as a function of buffer gas pressure, an accurate determination is made of the rates of collision induced transitions away from the excited state. Deconvolution can in principle be employed to resolve fluorescence times shorter than the response times of the system. However, attainable reproducibility and accuracy in actual experiments usually set a limit beyond which no meaningful results are expected. Prudence thus dictates that the results of deconvolution be viewed with extreme caution whenever fluorescence time much shorter than the response of times of the system are indicated.

Wang, C. C.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Design analysis of Rayleigh-step floating-ring seals

The analysis and design of a 50-mm diameter floating-ring helium buffer seal are described. The seal rings incorporated Rayleigh-step lift pads to provide hydrodynamic forces to separate the rings from the shaft. Maximum surface speed is 183 m/s (600 fps) and maximum buffer gas pressure is 1389 kPa (200 psia). An operating range map was computed as a function of speed and pressure. Contradictory problems arise due to excessive friction preventing ring tracking at low-speed, high-pressure conditions and insufficent friction to retard inertia driven motions at high-speed, low-pressure conditions. Steady-state and dynamic analyses and performance are described, as well as the results of thermal studies.

Artiles, A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Analytical investigation of cavity blackbody lasers

The characteristics of an ideal blackbody cavity lasant were outlined. The choice of an ideal lasant is a complex process depending on a large number of factors, including the choice of a cooling medium and a buffer gas. Planck's radiation law limits the power input per unit area into a CO2 blackbody cavity laser making the surface area for high powered lasers excessively large. It is suggested that an alternative application might be small 1 W lasers for communication and surveillance, because it would be easy to maintain the cavity temperatures in synchronous orbits where 72 minutes each day are spent in the Earth's shadow.

Harries, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Electrical power systems for Mars

Electrical power system options for Mars Manned Modules and Mars Surface Bases were evaluated for both near-term and advanced performance potential. The power system options investigated for the Mission Modules include photovoltaics, solar thermal, nuclear reactor, and isotope power systems. Options discussed for Mars Bases include the above options with the addition of a brief discussion of open loop energy conversion of Mars resources, including utilization of wind, subsurface thermal gradients, and super oxides. Electrical power requirements for Mission Modules were estimated for three basic approaches: as a function of crew size; as a function of electric propulsion; and as a function of transmission of power from an orbiter to the surface of Mars via laser or radio frequency. Mars Base power requirements were assumed to be determined by production facilities that make resources available for follow-on missions leading to the establishment of a permanently manned Base. Requirements include the production of buffer gas and propellant production plants.

Giudici, Robert J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Stable 1.25 watts CW far infrared laser radiation at the 119 micron methanol line

Far-infrared CW radiation of 1.25 watts has been obtained at the 119 micron methanol line with a CO2 pump power of 125 watts, and the maximum frequency fluctuation of the free running laser is measured to be less than + or - 100 kHz per hour. Reflecting optics have been used, when possible, to minimize CO2 degradation, and the frequency stability is ensured by cooling the input and output couplers. The input and output assemblies within the lasing medium are enclosed to minimize the external effects on the cavity length and to eliminate the mechanical instabilities associated with the use of bellows. The vibrational bottle-neck is broken by cooling the resonator wall to 5 deg and adding He as the buffer gas.

Farhoomand, Jam↗
NASA NTRS1988

Pulsed laser photolysis kinetics study of the O(3P) + ClO reaction

A pulsed laser photolysis technique was used to investigate the kinetics of the important stratospheric reaction O + ClO yields Cl + O2 in buffer gas over the temperature and pressure ranges of 231-367 K and 25-500 torr. The results indicate a lack of pressure dependence at 298 K over the 25-500 torr range.

Nicovich, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Photoacoustic measurement of differential broadening of the Lambda doublets in NO(X 2Pi 1/2,v = 2-0) by Ar

A differential broadening of the Lambda doublets in the v = 2-0 overtone band of the 2pi1/2 ground electronic state of NO in an Ar buffer gas has been observed by photoacoustic spectroscopy using a tunable color-center laser. The broadening coefficients for the f symmetry components are larger than for the e symmetry components by up to about 6 percent for J of about 16.5. This differential depends on J and vanishes at low J, implicating the anisotropy of the unpaired electron Pi orbital in the plane of rotation. The 2Pi3/2 transitions are slightly broader than the 2Pi1/2 as a result of spin-flipping collisional relaxation. The observed line shapes also exhibit collisional or Dicke narrowing due to velocity-changing collisions.

Pine, A. S.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Operational efficiency increase in a copper vapor laser due to the replacement of vacuum jacket brewster windows with flat windows

The vacuum integrity of the discharge tube of a copper vapor laser (CVL) is normally protected by Brewster angled windows. In an attempt to increase the operating efficiency of the CVL, flat windows were used to replace the Brewster windows. Experimental data confirm that the overall efficiency of the CVL does increase when such windows are used. The experimental results are discussed in terms of a computer model found in the literature. The cause of the efficiency increase appears due to a double optical cavity set up by the flat windows. However, the variation of the efficiency due to changes in the pulse repetition frequency (PRF) and buffer gas pressure are less well understood.

Estep, Lee↗
NASA NTRS1990

Linear ion trap for second-order Doppler shift reduction in frequency standard applications

The authors have designed and are presently testing a novel linear ion trap that permits storage of a large number of ions with reduced susceptibility to the second-order Doppler effect caused by the RF confining fields. This new trap should store about 20 times the number of ions as a conventional RF trap with no corresponding increase in second-order Doppler shift from the confining field. In addition, the sensitivity of this shift to trapping parameters, i.e., RF voltage, RF frequency, and trap size, is greatly reduced. The authors have succeeded in trapping mercury ions and xenon ions in the presence of helium buffer gas. Trap times as long as 2000 s have been measured.

Prestage, John D.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Line-shape asymmetry of water vapor absorption lines in the 720-nm wavelength region

Spectral line-shape analyses were performed for water vapor lines broadened by argon, oxygen, and xenon in the 720-nm wavelength region. A line-shape asymmetry was observed, which is attributed to statistical dependence or correlation between velocity- and state-changing collisions. The generalized (asymmetric) Galatry profile, which results from the soft-collision profile and includes correlation between velocity- and state-changing collisions, was fitted to the observed line shapes and was found to compare favorably with the observed data. The most prominent asymmetries were observed with xenon as the buffer gas.

Grossmann, Benoist E.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Laser-Induced-Emission Spectroscopy In Hg/Ar Discharge

Laser-induced-emission (LIE) spectroscopy used to probe low-pressure mercury/argon discharge to determine influence of mercury atoms in metastable 6(Sup3)P(Sub2) state on emission of light from discharge. LIE used to study all excitation processes affected by metastable population, including possible effects on excitation of atoms, ions, and buffer gas. Technique applied to emissions of other plasmas. Provides data used to make more-accurate models of such emissions, exploited by lighting and laser industries and by laboratories studying discharges. Also useful in making quantitative measurements of relative rates and cross sections of direct and two-step collisional processes involving metastable level.

Maleki, Lutfollah↗
NASA NTRS1991

Nuclear light bulb

The nuclear light bulb engine is a closed cycle concept. The nuclear light bulb concept provides containment by keeping the nuclear fuel fluid mechanically suspended in a cylindrical geometry. Thermal heat passes through an internally cooled, fused-silica, transparent wall and heats hydrogen propellant. The seeded hydrogen propellant absorbs radiant energy and is expanded through a nozzle. Internal moderation was used in the configuration which resulted in a reduced critical density requirement. This result was supported by criticality experiments. A reference engine was designed that had seven cells and was sized to fit in what was then predicted to be the shuttle bay mass and volume limitations. There were studies done of nozzle throat cooling schemes to remove the radiant heat. Elements of the nuclear light bulb program included closed loop critical assembly tests done at Los Alamos with UF6 confined by argon buffer gas. It was shown that the fuel region could be seeded with constituents that would block UV radiation from the uranium plasma. A combination of calculations and experiments showed that internal moderation produced a critical mass reduction. Other aspects of the research are presented.

Latham, Tom↗