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Orifice plate for control of flow has multiple slanted inlets leading to single outlet. Multiple-inlet/single-outlet orifice less susceptible to blockage than single hole drilled through plate perpendicular to its surface. Easily calibrated for various flow rates and fits in place of simple orifice plate with no other modifications.
In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) enables future planetary exploration by using local resources to supply mission consumables. This idea of 'living off the land' has the potential to reduce mission cost and risk. On the moon, water has been identified as a potential resource (for life support or propellant) at the lunar poles, where it exists as ice in the subsurface. However, the depth and content of this resource has yet to be confirmed on the ground; only remote detection data exists. The upcoming Resource Prospector mission (RP) will 'ground-truth' the water using a rover, drill, and the RESOLVE science package. As the 2020 planned mission date nears, component level hardware is being tested in relevant lunar conditions (thermal vacuum). In August 2014 a series of drilling tests were performed using the Honeybee Robotics Lunar Prospecting Drill inside a 'dirty' thermal vacuum chamber at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The drill used a unique auger design to capture and retain the lunar regolith simulant. The goal of these tests was to investigate volatiles (water) loss during drilling and sample transfer to a sample crucible in order to validate this regolith sampling method. Twelve soil samples were captured over the course of two tests at pressures of 10(exp-5) Torr and ambient temperatures between -80C to -20C. Each sample was obtained from a depth of 40 cm to 50 cm within a cryogenically frozen bed of NU-LHT-3M lunar regolith simulant doped with 5 wt% water. Upon acquisition, each sample was transferred and hermetically sealed inside a crucible. The samples were later baked out to determine water wt% and in turn volatile loss by following ASTM standard practices. Of the twelve tests, four sealed properly and lost an average of 30% of their available water during drilling and transfer. The variability in the results correlated well with ambient temperature (lower the temperature lower volatiles loss) and the trend agreed with the sublimation rates for the same temperature. Moisture retention also correlated with quantity of sample: a larger amount of material resulted in less water loss. The drilling process took an average of 10 minutes to capture and transfer each sample. The drilling power was approximately 20 Watt with a Weight on Bit of approximately 30 N. The bit temperature indicated little heat input into formation during the drilling process.
A model is given for regolith development by which the meteoroid impact parameters (time of last major impact, soil escape rate, and soil turnover depths) are determined from the Gd isotope data for the Apollo 15 and 16 drill stems. The time of the last major impact, cosmic-ray-produced-nuclide-clock reset time, at the Apollo 15 site is 0.6-1.3 aeon. The reset time at the Apollo 16 site is between 1.54 plus or minus 0.14 and 3.3-4.0 aeon. The average soil escape rate from the moon corresponding to the 1.54 plus or minus 0.14 aeon reset time is between 70 and 110 cm/aeon and corresponding to the 3.3 and 4.0 aeon reset time is between 36 and 56 cm/aeon. The soil turnover depth for the 1.54 plus or minus 0.14 aeon reset time is 250 cm and for the 3.3-4.0 aeon reset time is 750 cm. The Gd data restrict the change with time of the meteoroid flux during the past 1.4 aeon.
Two 125-mm-bore solid ball bearings and two similar drilled ball bearings were operated at speeds up to 24,000 rpm (3.0 million DN) with a 13,000 newton (3000 lb) thrust load. The oil flow rate was varied from 0.045 to 0.121 kilograms per second (6 to 16 lb/min). The solid ball bearings operated satisfactorily over the entire range of conditions. The drilled ball bearing experienced cage rub with marginal lubrication at 0.045 kilograms per second (6 lb/min). The drilled ball bearing generally ran cooler than the solid ball bearings.
The RSRM 10% Scaled Model under design will make use of drilled hole liners to provide mass addition along the axial length of the model. The model will have two sets of liners in use at a time. The outer most liner is a flow distribution tube, the purpose of which is to help distribute the flow evenly over each model segment. The inner most liner will simulate the propellant burning surface at a burn time of 80 seconds. This liner will replicate as closely as possible the actual geometry of the full scale RSRM at the 80 second burn time. In order to obtain the correct mass flow rate for the burn time selected, it is necessary to determine the porosity of the holes drilled in each liner and the performance of those holes. The pressure drop across the liners directly effects the uniformity of the flow in the axial direction for a given model section. It is desired to have a pressure drop across the liners which is greater than the axial pressure drop in a given section. However, the pressure drop across the liner also has a bearing on the structural soundness of the model. The performance of the model was determined analytically, but there was some uncertainty as to the value of the discharge coefficient used. This uncertainty was the impetus for these drilled hole plate tests. Experimentally obtaining the discharge coefficients for sample plates of the porosity to be used in the model would increase the fidelity of the model design. These tests were developed in order to provide the required information with the least amount of testing time and hardware.
This study evaluates the feasibility of using ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs) integrated with water wells for residential heating demands in cold regions of the United States. Four different heat pump systems were evaluated and compared: a CO 2 air-source heat pump (ASHP), a R-410A ASHP, a CO 2 GSHP integrated with well water, and a R-410A GSHP integrated with well water. Simulations were conducted at both equipment and building integration levels, followed by a nationwide analysis across 10 selected cities. Results indicate that integrating GSHP technology with existing water wells (e.g., artesian, bedrock, drilled, and collector wells) is a feasible heating solution because of their high flow rates, good water quality, stable temperatures, and low environmental impact. Although R-410A systems demonstrate higher efficiency, CO 2 systems are more suitable for heating from contamination-free and energy security perspective. The CO 2 GSHPs maintain better performance in colder climates compared with that of ASHPs, providing higher coefficient of performance and environmental benefits because CO 2 refrigerant leakage would not contaminate well water. A national analysis confirms that CO 2 GSHPs outperform furnaces, especially in cold climates, making them a promising solution for residential heating.
This study evaluates the feasibility of using ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs) integrated with water wells for residential heating demands in cold regions of the United States. Four different heat pump systems were evaluated and compared: a CO 2 air-source heat pump (ASHP), a R-410A ASHP, a CO 2 GSHP integrated with well water, and a R-410A GSHP integrated with well water. Simulations were conducted at both equipment and building integration levels, followed by a nationwide analysis across 10 selected cities. Results indicate that integrating GSHP technology with existing water wells (e.g., artesian, bedrock, drilled, and collector wells) is a feasible heating solution because of their high flow rates, good water quality, stable temperatures, and low environmental impact. Although R-410A systems demonstrate higher efficiency, CO 2 systems are more suitable for heating from contamination-free and energy security perspective. The CO 2 GSHPs maintain better performance in colder climates compared with that of ASHPs, providing higher coefficient of performance and environmental benefits because CO 2 refrigerant leakage would not contaminate well water. A national analysis confirms that CO 2 GSHPs outperform furnaces, especially in cold climates, making them a promising solution for residential heating.
The West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Core (WDC) provided a high-resolution climate record from near the Ross-Amundsen Divide in Central West Antarctica. In addition, radar-detected internal layers in the vicinity of the WDC site have been dated directly from the ice core to provide spatial variations in the age structure of the region. Using these two data sets together, we first infer a high-resolution Holocene accumulation-rate history from 9.2 thousand years of the ice-core timescale and then confirm that this climate history is consistent with internal layers upstream of the core site. Even though the WDC was drilled only 24 kilometers from the modern ice divide, advection of ice from upstream must be taken into account. We evaluate histories of accumulation rate by using a flowband model to generate internal layers that we compare to observed layers. Results show that the centennially averaged accumulation rate was over 20 percent lower than modern at 9.2 thousand years before present (B.P.), increased by 40 percent from 9.2 to 2.3 thousand years B.P., and decreased by at least 10 percent over the past 2 thousand years B.P. to the modern values; these Holocene accumulation-rate changes in Central West Antarctica are larger than changes inferred from East Antarctic ice-core records. Despite significant changes in accumulation rate, throughout the Holocene the regional accumulation pattern has likely remained similar to today, and the ice-divide position has likely remained on average within 5 kilometers of its modern position. Continent-scale ice-sheet models used for reconstructions of West Antarctic ice volume should incorporate this accumulation history.
The ability to penetrate subsurfaces and perform sample acquisition at depth of meters may be critical for future NASA in-situ exploration missions to bodies in the solar system, including Mars and Europa. A corer/sampler was developed with the goal of enabling acquisition of samples from depths of several meters where if used on Mars would be beyond the oxidized and sterilized zone. For this purpose, we developed a rotary-hammering coring drill, called Auto-Gopher, which employs a piezoelectric actuated percussive mechanism for breaking formations and an electric motor that rotates the bit to remove the powdered cuttings. This sampler is a wireline mechanism that can be fed into and retrieved from the drilled hole using a winch and a cable. It includes an inchworm anchoring mechanism allowing the drill advancement and weight on bit control without twisting the reeling and power cables. The penetration rate is being optimized by simultaneously activating the percussive and rotary motions of the Auto-Gopher. The percussive mechanism is based on the Ultrasonic/Sonic Drill/Corer (USDC) mechanism that is driven by piezoelectric stack and that was demonstrated to require low axial preload. The design and fabrication of this device were presented in previous publications. This paper presents the results of laboratory and field tests and lessons learned from this development.
Seven 150-mm bore ball bearings were run under 8900 Newton (2000 lb) thrust load at speeds from 6670 to 20,000 rpm (1 to 3 million DN). Four of the bearings had conventional solid balls and three bearing had drilled (cylindrically hollow) balls with 50 percent mass reduction. The bearings were under-race cooled and slot-lubricated with Type 2 ester oil at flow rates from 4.35 to 5.80 liters per minute (1.15 to 1.57 gal min). Friction torque and temperatures were measured on all bearings. No significant difference in torque was noted, between the solid and drilled ball bearings. One bearing of each type was rerun at 17,800 Newtons (4000 lb) thrust load. The solid ball bearings performed satisfactorily at 3 million DN. However, at about 2 million DN the drilled ball bearing experienced a broken ball and cracks appeared in two other balls as the result of flexure fatigue. Metallurgical examination of the cracked balls indicated a brittle structure in the bore of the drilled balls.
Seven 150-millimeter-bore ball bearings were run under 8900-newton (2000-lbf) thrust load at speeds from 6670 to 20,000 rpm (1 million to 3 million DN). Four of the bearings had conventional solid balls, and three bearings had drilled (cylindrically hollow) balls with 50-percent mass reduction. The bearings were under-race cooled and slot lubricated with a type 2 ester oil at flow rates from 4.35 x 0.001 to 5.94 x 0.001 cubic meter/min (1.15 to 1.57 gal/min). Friction torque and temperature were measured on all bearings. While there was considerable spread in the temperature data, the drilled ball bearings tended to run slightly cooler than the solid ball bearings at higher speeds. No significant difference in torque was noted, however, between the solid and drilled ball bearings. One bearing of each type was rerun at 17,800-newton (4000-lbf) thrust load. The solid ball bearings performed satisfactorily at 3 million DN. However, at about 2 million DN the drilled ball bearing experienced a broken ball, and cracks appeared in other balls as a result of flexure fatigue. Metallurgical examination of the cracked balls indicated a brittle structure in the bore of the drilled balls.
The influence of the external cathodic area, stress intensity, and electrochemical polarization level on the resultant crack growth rate and crack tip pH and potential was studied for stainless steel 304L in a sodium chloride environment. Before testing, the validity of in situ crack tip property measurements using microprobes and drilled holes was supported through modeling efforts and confirmed with experimental observations. Here, it was found that increasing the R-ratio during corrosion fatigue increased the crack growth rate and decreased the measured crack tip pH of the 304L sample. Decreasing the electrochemical potential (i.e., cathodic polarization) of the bulk sample increased the crack tip pH and stopped measured crack extension under constant K conditions. Conversely, increasing the potential of the bulk sample decreased the crack tip pH and induced cracking under constant K conditions. Decreasing the cathodic area external to the crack increased the measured pH at the crack tip and decreased the crack growth rate under fatigue conditions. For the given configuration, environment, and alloy studied, fatigue crack growth is not sustained by cathodic reactions solely occurring in the crack wake and notch. These results have implications for the ability to predict atmospheric crack growth rates from laboratory, full immersion experiments.
One of the CEA facilities in France is the place of miscellaneous mapping and clean-up operations since the 1980's. The final purpose of the conducted work deals with the environmental remediation of the building. In France, the absence of a regulatory framework for the management of sites polluted by radioactive substances, especially as the lack of release thresholds, has led to develop different approaches of soil radiological characterization. The geostatistical approach is part of them. Preliminary investigations are an unavoidable step prior to clearance and remediation. First, historical analysis enables to define site perimeters to investigate as well as to precisely locate expected contaminated parts. For radioactive pollutants, the media (water, soil, air) and transfer routes participate in the definition of the investigation perimeter and thus also need to be identified through a geological study. At the same time, functional analysis leads to choose the best measurement means which could provide useful information when combined with visual inspection. An equipment well adapted to easy-to-measure radionuclides as gamma emitters, such as gamma probe or on-site gamma spectrometry, is usually selected as a non-destructive assay. Coupled with spatial positions, processed on-site radiological data can be mapped. Data processing consists in mapping and kriging before a geostatistical analysis in order to identify the zones of interest to be targeted. Selected zones are not only linked to high level count rates but also to low level ones so that a pollution-free reference is known in the area. This data processing also enables to categorize waste types according to their origin and contamination levels. An expected volume of different waste then follows as well as the waste characterization equipments. In-depth investigations, e.g. core drillings and samplings, naturally ensue to aim at remediation optimization through the assessment of environmental impact. After clean-up operations, non-destructive assays as well as destructive samplings enable to check the effective clearance. Following this methodology in the present remediation work, results of the first non-destructive assay campaign highlighted a long-lived transuranic radionuclides contamination in the concrete flagstone. Successive non-destructive assays were then performed in the defined zones of interest. Count rates measured with a surface probe were first mapped. The best localization of destructive assays, i.e. core drillings at a 1 meter depth, came from this surface mapping followed by a geostatistical analysis. The concrete flagstone was totally removed. Then, the depth of soil to remove under the flagstone was optimized from the results of radiological activities measured in core drillings samples. A new surface mapping was then drawn after this partial soil excavation. The sand and demolition rubble samples, homogeneously constituted from the flagstone fragments, were analyzed by gamma spectrometry. Meanwhile, waste drums and other containers were also measured by gamma spectrometry and passive neutron measurement devices. All these results have brought miscellaneous pieces of information. In this context, major issues appear in terms of physical constraints such as the premises tininess as well as of soil sampling techniques and in terms of measurement performances assessment and the representativeness of homogeneous samples. The choice of radiological soil and waste characterization devices is described in the light of enhanced performances by keeping in mind radiation protection requirements and a willing to always optimize waste categories (very low level waste) and volume. The improvement of the characterization methods appears through this forty-year long work while sharing the feedback of encountered difficulties. (authors)
Tabulated data from a series of experimental studies of the interaction of a shock wave with a turbulent boundary layer in axisymmetric flow configurations is presented. The studies were conducted at the walls of circular wind tunnels and on the cylindrical centerbody of an annular flow channel. Detailed pitot pressure profiles and wall static pressure profiles upstream of, within and downstream of the interaction region are given. Results are presented for flows at nominal freestream Mach Numbers of 2, 3 and 4. For studies at the tunnel sidewalls, the shock waves were produced by conical shock generators mounted on the centerline of the wind tunnel at zero angle of attack. The annular ring generator was used to produce the shock wave at the centerbody of the annular flow channel. The effects of boundary layer bleed were examined in the investigation. Both bleed rate and bleed location were studied. Most of the bleed studies were conducted with bleed holes drilled normal to the wall surface but the effects of slot suction were also examined. A summary of the principal results and conclusions is given.
Rotary steerable systems (RSS) have transformed directional drilling over the years and are becoming widely accepted throughout the world. RSS technology has been proven to provide the required strength and agility in challenging and abrasive environments as well as provide a higher rate of penetration (ROP) by allowing more weight transfer to the bit. Due to the higher price of RSS, some companies have stayed loyal to the conventional bent housing (CBH) with a performance drilling motor, regardless of the RSS benefits. This paper examines the performance and cost benefits of standalone RSS (SA-RSS), motor driven RSS (MD-RSS), and CBH systems. Three wells drilled in the Caney formation in Southwestern Oklahoma were selected for the analysis. Results showed that using RSS in the 12.25” intermediate vertical section and the 8.75”/8.5” lateral section was more cost effective than a CBH system. The cost per foot for the CBH was 1.6 to 2.3 times higher than RSS in the vertical section and 1.7 times higher in the lateral section. The RSS ROP was 2.3 to 4.8 times faster than CBH in the vertical section and 1.6 times faster in the lateral section.
A statistical model is given for soil development relating meteoroid impacts on the moon to cosmic-ray-produced isotopes in the soil. By means of this model, the average lunar mass loss rate during the past 1.4 aeons is determined to be 170g/sq cm aeon and the soil mixing rate to be approximately 200 cm/aeon from the gadolinium isotope data for the Apollo 15 and 16 drill stems. The isotope data also restrict the time variation of the meteoroid flux during the past 1.4 aeons.
NASA exploration missions are increasingly including sampling tasks but with the growth in engineering experience (particularly, Phoenix Scout and MSL) it is now very much recognized that planetary drilling poses many challenges. The difficulties grow significantly with the hardness of sampled material, the depth of drilling and the harshness of the environmental conditions. To address the requirements for samplers that could be operated at the conditions of the various bodies in the solar system, a number of piezoelectric actuated drills and corers were developed by the Advanced Technologies Group of JPL. The basic configuration that was conceived in 1998 is known as the Ultrasonic/Sonic Driller/Corer (USDC), and it operates as a percussive mechanism. This drill requires as low preload as 10N (important for operation at low gravity) allowing to operate with as low-mass device as 400g, use an average power as low as 2- 3W and drill rocks as hard as basalt. A key feature of this drilling mechanism is the use of a free-mass to convert the ultrasonic vibrations generated by piezoelectric stack to sonic impacts on the bit. Using the versatile capabilities f the USDC led to the development of many configurations and device sizes. Significant improvement of the penetration rate was achieved by augmenting the hammering action by rotation and use of a fluted bit to remove cuttings. To reach meters deep in ice a wireline drill was developed called the Ultrasonic/Sonic Gopher and it was demonstrated in 2005 to penetrate about 2-m deep at Antarctica. Jointly with Honeybee Robotics, this mechanism is currently being modified to incorporate rotation and inchworm operation forming Auto-Gopher to reach meters deep in rocks. To take advantage of the ability of piezoelectric actuators to operate over a wide temperatures range, piezoelectric actuated drills were developed and demonstrated to operate at as cold as -200oC and as hot as 500oC. In this paper, the developed mechanisms will be reviewed and discussed including the configurations, capabilities, and challenges.
Refractory black carbon aerosols (rBC) from biomass burning and fossil fuel combustion are deposited to the Antarctic ice sheet and preserve a history of emissions and long-range transport from low- and mid-latitudes. Antarctic ice core rBC records may thus provide information with respect to past combustion aerosol emissions and atmospheric circulation. Here, we present six East Antarctic ice core records of rBC concentrations and fluxes covering the last two centuries with approximately annual resolution (cal. yr. 1800 to 2000). The ice cores were drilled in disparate regions of the high East Antarctic ice sheet, at different elevations and net snow accumulation rates. Annual rBC concentrations were log-normally distributed and geometric means of annual concentrations ranged from 0.10 to 0.18 m cro-g/kg. Average rBC fluxes were determined over the time periods 1800 to 2000 and 1963 to 2000 and ranged from 3.4 to 15.5 m /a and 3.6 to 21.8 micro-g/sq m/a, respectively. Geometric mean concentrations spanning 1800 to 2000 increased linearly with elevation at a rate of 0.025 micro-g/kg/500 m. Spectral analysis of the records revealed significant decadal-scale variability, which at several sites was comparable to decadal ENSO variability.