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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 901 records · Page 50

Stressing the importance of plant specialized metabolites: omics-based approaches for discovering specialized metabolism in plant stress responses

Plants produce a diverse range of specialized metabolites that play pivotal roles in mediating environmental interactions and stress adaptation. These unique chemical compounds also hold significant agricultural, medicinal, and industrial values. Despite the expanding knowledge of their functions in plant stress interactions, understanding the intricate biosynthetic pathways of these natural products remains challenging due to gene and pathway redundancy, multifunctionality of proteins, and the activity of enzymes with broad substrate specificity. In the past decade, substantial progress in genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics has made the exploration of plant specialized metabolism more feasible than ever before. Notably, recent advances in integrative multi-omics and computational approaches, along with other technologies, are accelerating the discovery of plant specialized metabolism. In this review, we present a summary of the recent progress in the discovery of plant stress-related specialized metabolites. Emphasis is placed on the application of advanced omics-based approaches and other techniques in studying plant stress-related specialized metabolism. Additionally, we discuss the high-throughput methods for gene functional characterization. These advances hold great promise for harnessing the potential of specialized metabolites to enhance plant stress resilience in the future.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

deeprob/ThioesteraseEnzymeSpecificity: EnZymClass-first-release

Characterizing the functional properties of plant acyl-ACP thioesterases (TEs), a key enzyme class used in the production of renewable oleochemicals in microbial hosts, experimentally, can be an expensive and time consuming process since it requires manual screening of thousands of candidates in a database. Using amino acid sequence to computationally predict an enzyme’s function might accelerate this process; however obtaining the necessary amount of information on previously characterized enzymes and their respective sequences required by standard Machine Learning (ML) based approaches to accurately infer sequence-function relationships can be prohibitive, especially with a low-throughput testing cycle. Experimental noise, unbalanced dataset where high sequence similarity does not always imply identical functional properties will further prevent robust prediction performance. Herein we present a ML method, Ensemble method for enZyme Classification (EnZymClass), that is specifically designed to address these issues. We used EnZymClass to classify TEs into short, long and mixed free fatty acid substrate specificity categories. While general guidelines for inferring substrate specificity have been proposed before, prediction of chain-length preference from primary sequence has remained elusive for plant acyl-ACP TEs. By applying EnZymClass to a subset of TEs in the ThYme database, we identified two medium chain TEs, ClFatB3 and CwFatB2, with previously uncharacterized activity in E. coli fatty acid production hosts.

Banerjee, Deepro↗

Analytical study of laser-supported combustion waves in hydrogen

Laser supported combustion (LSC) waves are an important ingredient in the fluid mechanics of CW laser propulsion using a hydrogen propellant and 10.6 micron lasers. Therefore, a computer model has been constructed to solve the one-dimensional energy equation with constant pressure and area. Physical processes considered include convection, conduction, absorption of laser energy, radiation energy loss, and accurate properties of equilibrium hydrogen. Calculations for 1, 3, 10 and 30 atm were made for intensities of 10 to the 4th to 10 to the 6th W/sq cm, which gave temperature profiles, wave speed, etc. To pursue the propulsion application, a second computer model was developed to describe the acceleration of the gas emerging from the LSC wave into a variable-pressure, converging streamtube, still including all the above-mentioned physical processes. The results show very high temperatures in LSC waves which absorb all the laser energy, and high radiative losses.

Kemp, N. H.↗

Low cost solar array project production process and equipment task: A Module Experimental Process System Development Unit (MEPSDU)

Several major modifications were made to the design presented at the PDR. The frame was deleted in favor of a "frameless" design which will provide a substantially improved cell packing factor. Potential shaded cell damage resulting from operation into a short circuit can be eliminated by a change in the cell series/parallel electrical interconnect configuration. The baseline process sequence defined for the MEPSON was refined and equipment design and specification work was completed. SAMICS cost analysis work accelerated, format A's were prepared and computer simulations completed. Design work on the automated cell interconnect station was focused on bond technique selection experiments.

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Four-Cylinder Stirling Engine Control Simulation

Four-cylinder, Stirling-engine, transient-engine-simulation computer program developed. Program intended for control analysis. Associated engine model simplified to shorten computer calculation time. Model includes engine mechanical-drive dynamics and vehicle-load effects. Computer program also includes subroutines that allow acceleration of engine by addition of hydrogen to system and braking of engine by short circuiting of working spaces.

Daniele, C. J.↗

An unconditionally stable Runge-Kutta method for unsteady flows

A quasi-three dimensional analysis was developed for unsteady rotor-stator interaction in turbomachinery. The analysis solves the unsteady Euler or thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations in a body fitted coordinate system. It accounts for the effects of rotation, radius change, and stream surface thickness. The Baldwin-Lomax eddy viscosity model is used for turbulent flows. The equations are integrated in time using a four stage Runge-Kutta scheme with a constant time step. Implicit residual smoothing was employed to accelerate the solution of the time accurate computations. The scheme is described and accuracy analyses are given. Results are shown for a supersonic through-flow fan designed for NASA Lewis. The rotor:stator blade ratio was taken as 1:1. Results are also shown for the first stage of the Space Shuttle Main Engine high pressure fuel turbopump. Here the blade ratio is 2:3. Implicit residual smoothing was used to increase the time step limit of the unsmoothed scheme by a factor of six with negligible differences in the unsteady results. It is felt that the implicitly smoothed Runge-Kutta scheme is easily competitive with implicit schemes for unsteady flows while retaining the simplicity of an explicit scheme.

Jorgenson, Philip C. E.↗

Development of a Navier-Stokes algorithm for parallel-processing supercomputers

An explicit flow solver, applicable to the hierarchy of model equations ranging from Euler to full Navier-Stokes, is combined with several techniques designed to reduce computational expense. The computational domain consists of local grid refinements embedded in a global coarse mesh, where the locations of these refinements are defined by the physics of the flow. Flow characteristics are also used to determine which set of model equations is appropriate for solution in each region, thereby reducing not only the number of grid points at which the solution must be obtained, but also the computational effort required to get that solution. Acceleration to steady-state is achieved by applying multigrid on each of the subgrids, regardless of the particular model equations being solved. Since each of these components is explicit, advantage can readily be taken of the vector- and parallel-processing capabilities of machines such as the Cray X-MP and Cray-2.

Swisshelm, Julie M.↗

An unconditionally stable Runge-Kutta method for unsteady flows

A quasi-three-dimensional analysis was developed for unsteady rotor-stator interaction in turbomachinery. The analysis solves the unsteady Euler or thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations in a body-fitted coordinate system. It accounts for the effects of rotation, radius change, and stream surface thickness. The Baldwin-Lomax eddy viscosity model is used for turbulent flows. The equations are integrated in time using a four-stage Runge-Kutta scheme with a constant time step. Implicit residual smoothing was employed to accelerate the solution of the time accurate computations. The scheme is described and accuracy analyses are given. Results are shown for a supersonic through-flow fan designed for NASA Lewis. The rotor:stator blade ratio was taken as 1:1. Results are also shown for the first stage of the Space Shuttle Main Engine high pressure fuel turbopump. Here the blade ratio is 2:3. Implicit residual smoothing was used to increase the time step limit of the unsmoothed scheme by a factor of six with negligible differences in the unsteady results. It is felt that the implicitly smoothed Runge-Kutta scheme is easily competitive with implicit schemes for unsteady flows while retaining the simplicity of an explicit scheme.

Jorgenson, Philip C. E.↗

Development of an aerodynamics algorithm for parallel-processing supercomputers

An explicit flow solver, applicable to the hierarchy of model equations ranging from Euler to full Navier-Stokes, is combined with several techniques designed to reduce computational expense. The computational domain consists of local grid refinements embedded in a global coarse mesh, where the locations of these refinements are defined by the physics of the flow. Flow characteristics are also used to determine which set of model equations is appropriate for solution in each region, thereby reducing not only the number of grid points at which the solution must be obtained, but also the computational effort required to get that solution. Acceleration to steady-state is achieved by applying multigrid on each of the subgrids, regardless of the particular model equations being solved. Since each of these components is explicit, advantage can readily be taken of the vector- and parallel-processing capabilities of machines such as the Cray X-MP and Cray-2.

Swisshelm, Julie M.↗

Control of robot dynamics using acceleration control

Acceleration control of robotic devices can provide improvements to many space-based operations using flexible manipulators and to ground-based operations requiring better precision and efficiency than current industrial robots can provide. This paper reports on a preliminary study of acceleration measurement on robotic motion during parabolic flights on the NASA KC-135 and a parallel study of accelerations with and without gravity arising from computer simulated motions using TREETOPS software.

Workman, G. L.↗

Green's function methods in heavy ion shielding

An analytic solution to the heavy ion transport in terms of Green's function is used to generate a highly efficient computer code for space applications. The efficiency of the computer code is accomplished by a nonperturbative technique extending Green's function over the solution domain. The computer code can also be applied to accelerator boundary conditions to allow code validation in laboratory experiments.

Wilson, John W.↗

On some recent advances in multidisciplinary analysis of hypersonic vehicles

This paper presents pertinent details of the development and application of an integrated, multidisciplinary finite element analysis tool for the effective modeling and simulation of aerospace vehicles including hypersonic ones. Recent advances in this connection include more efficient CFD solution techniques and also aeroservoelastic stability analysis methods that employ unsteady aerodynamic forces for computation of flutter and divergence speeds. An accelerated Euler solution procedure based on the Aitken acceleration technique has recently been implemented that effects considerable improvement in solution efficiency for the same level of solution accuracy, as evidenced by example problems presented in the paper. A summary of finite element numerical formulations for the various individual disciplines as well as for the unified aeroservoelastic analysis and some relevant numerical examples are also presented in the paper.

Gupta, K. K.↗

Ponderomotive effects on distributions of O(+) ions in the auroral zone

Test particle calculations are used to compute the effects of gravity and ponderomotive acceleration by shear Alfven wave oscillations on the distribution function of O(+) ions along auroral field lines, assuming an ionospheric Maxwellian source of the ions at 2000 km altitude with approximately 0.5 eV of thermal energy in the parallel component of velocity. The electric field model corresponds to a standing wave oscillation with a frequency approximately 1 Hz in the azimuthal direction superimposed on the background dipole field, in which the wave amplitude is either increasing or decreasing in time. The electric field is taken to be primarily in the perpendicular direction. The time varying wave produces broad distributions with widths of 2 to 10 times the initial 0.5-eV thermal energy of the Maxwellian source, and the density and flux of upward going O(+) ions at one Earth radius are both enhanced in this model. The oxygen ion distribution functions at 1 R(sub E) altitude resulting from interaction with waves whose amplitudes are increasing in time have a more gradual lower energy cutoff than do the distribution functions resulting from decaying waves. The high-energy part of the distribution functions in growing waves reflects the temperature of the Maxwellian source, while the high-energy part of the distributions resulting from decaying waves steepens with time, independent of the source temperature.

Witt, E.↗

Improved Program For Calculation Of Heat-Load Multiplier

PRM1940 computer program computes heat-load multiplier for use in Power Balance Model (PBM) computer program which calculates hundreds of operating parameters of main engine of space shuttle from relatively few measurement data. PRM1940 is stand-alone program which incorporates only those PBM calculations necessary to compute heat-load multiplier. Developed to accelerate and partly automate calculation of heat-load multiplier. Although programs specific to space shuttle application, also of interest to engineers concerned with monitoring of conditions in turbines, chemical-processing plants, and other high-temperature flow machinery.

D'Valentine, Mark↗

The 1995 NASA guide to graduate support

The future of the United States is in the classrooms of America and tomorrow's scientific and technological capabilities are derived from today's investments in research. In 1980, NASA initiated the Graduate Student Researchers Program (GSRP) to cultivate additional research ties to the academic community and to support promising students pursuing advanced degrees in science and engineering. Since then, approximately 1300 students have completed the program's requirements. In 1987, the program was expanded to include the Underrepresented Minority and Disabled Focus (UMDF) Component. This program was designed to increase participation of underrepresented groups in graduate study and research and, ultimately, in space science and aerospace technology careers. Approximately 270 minority students have completed the program's requirements while making significant contributions to the nation's aerospace efforts. Continuing to expand fellowship opportunities, NASA announced the Graduate Student Fellowships in Global Change Research in 1990. Designed to support the rapid growth in the study of earth as a system, more than 250 fellowships have been awarded. And, in 1992, NASA announced opportunities in the multiagency High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) Program designed to accelerate the development and application of massively parallel processing. Approximately five new fellowships will be awarded yearly. This booklet will guide you in your efforts to participate in programs for graduate student support.

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Correlation of Fin Buffet Pressures on an F/A-18 with Scaled Wind-Tunnel Measurements

Buffeting is an aeroelastic phenomenon occurring at high angles of attack that plagues high performance aircraft, especially those with twin vertical tails. Previous wind-tunnel and flight tests were conducted to characterize the buffet loads on the vertical tails by measuring surface pressures, bending moments, and accelerations. Following these tests, buffeting responses were computed using the measured buffet pressures and compared to the measured buffeting responses. The calculated results did not match the measured data because the assumed spatial correlation of the buffet pressures was not correct. A better understanding of the partial (spatial) correlation of the differential buffet pressures on the tail was necessary to improve the buffeting predictions. Several wind-tunnel investigations were conducted for this purpose. When compared, the results of these tests show that the partial correlation scales with flight conditions. One of the remaining questions is whether the wind-tunnel data is consistent with flight data. Presented herein, cross-spectra and coherence functions calculated from pressures that were measured on the High Alpha Research Vehicle indicate that the partial correlation of the buffet pressures in flight agrees with the partial correlation observed in the wind tunnel.

Moses, Robert W.↗

Magnetic-Nozzle Studies for Fusion Propulsion Applications: Gigawatt Plasma Source Operation and Magnetic Nozzle Analysis

This project has been a multiyear effort to assess the feasibility of a key process inherent to virtually all fusion propulsion concepts: the expansion of a fusion-grade plasma through a diverging magnetic field. Current fusion energy research touches on this process only indirectly through studies of plasma divertors designed to remove the fusion products from a reactor. This project was aimed at directly addressing propulsion system issues, without the expense of constructing a fusion reactor. Instead, the program designed, constructed, and operated a facility suitable for simulating fusion reactor grade edge plasmas, and to examine their expansion in an expanding magnetic nozzle. The approach was to create and accelerate a dense (up to l0(exp 20)/m) plasma, stagnate it in a converging magnetic field to convert kinetic energy to thermal energy, and examine the subsequent expansion of the hot (100's eV) plasma in a subsequent magnetic nozzle. Throughout the project, there has been a parallel effort between theoretical and numerical design and modelling of the experiment and the experiment itself. In particular, the MACH2 code was used to design and predict the performance of the magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) plasma accelerator, and to design and predict the design and expected behavior for the magnetic field coils that could be added later. Progress to date includes the theoretical accelerator design and construction, development of the power and vacuum systems to accommodate the powers and mass flow rates of interest to out research, operation of the accelerator and comparison to theoretical predictions, and computational analysis of future magnetic field coils and the expected performance of an integrated source-nozzle experiment.

Gilland, James H.↗

Spatial Characteristics of F/A-18 Vertical Tail Buffet Pressures Measured in Flight

Buffeting is an aeroelastic phenomenon which plagues high performance aircraft, especially those with twin vertical tails, at high angles of attack. Previous wind-tunnel and flight tests were conducted to characterize the buffet loads on the vertical tails by measuring surface pressures, bending moments, and accelerations. Following these tests, buffeting estimates were computed using the measured buffet pressures and compared to the measured responses. The estimates did not match the measured data because the assumed spatial correlation of the buffet pressures was not correct. A better understanding of the partial (spatial) correlation of the differential buffet pressures on the tail was necessary to improve the buffeting estimates. Several wind-tunnel investigations were conducted for this purpose. When combined and compared, the results of these tests show that the partial correlation depends on and scales with flight conditions. One of the remaining questions is whether the windtunnel data is consistent with flight data. Presented herein, cross-spectra and coherence functions calculated from pressures that were measured on the high alpha research vehicle (HARV) indicate that the partial correlation of the buffet pressures in flight agrees with the partial correlation observed in the wind tunnel.

Moses, Robert W.↗