Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “receiver”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 991 records · Page 55

Local Oscillator Sub-Systems for Array Receivers in the 1-3 THz Range

Recent results from the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared (HIFI) on the Herschel Space Telescope have confirmed the usefulness of high resolution spectroscopic data for a better understanding of our Universe. This paper will explore the current status of tunable local oscillator sources with emphasis on building a multi-pixel LO subsystem for the scientifically important CII line around 1908 GHz. Recent results have shown that over 50 microwatts of output power at 1.9 THz are possible with an optimized single pixel LO chain. These power levels are now sufficient to pump array receivers in this frequency range. Further power enhancement can be obtained by cooling the chain to 120 K or by utilizing in-phase power combining technology.

local oscillators↗

TriG: Next Generation Scalable Spaceborne GNSS Receiver

TriG is the next generation NASA scalable space GNSS Science Receiver. It will track all GNSS and additional signals (i.e. GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Compass and Doris). Scalable 3U architecture and fully software and firmware recofigurable, enabling optimization to meet specific mission requirements. TriG GNSS EM is currently undergoing testing and is expected to complete full performance testing later this year.

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)↗

Tracking Performance of Upgraded "Polished Panel" Optical Receiver on NASA's 34 Meter Research Antenna

There has been considerable interest in developing and demonstrating a hybrid "polished panel" optical receiver concept that would replace the microwave panels on the Deep Space Network's (DSN) 34 meter antennas with highly polished aluminum panels, thus enabling simultaneous opticaland microwave reception. A test setup has been installed on the 34 meter research antenna at DSS-13 (Deep Space Station 13) at NASA's Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in California in order to assess the feasibility of this concept. Here we describe the results of a recent effort todramatically reduce the dimensions of the point-spread function (PSF) generated by a custom polished panel, thus enabling improved optical communications performance. The latest results are compared to the previous configuration in terms of quantifiable PSF improvement. In addition, the performance of acquisition and tracking algorithms designed specifically for the polished panel PSF are evaluated and compared, based on data obtained from real-time tracking of planets and bright stars with the 34 meter research antenna at DSS-13.

optima↗

Economical 10-Meter-Class Ground-Based Receiver for Deep-Space Optical Communications

Modifications to an existing radiofrequency telescope are described which would enable it to operate as an R&D optical receiver terminal for deep-space communications. The low overall cost of the telescope is due to the unique process of fabricating the 10.4 meter primary mirror and its support structure, the lightweight of the primary (10-11 kg/m 2 ), and the requirement that the telescope act only as a photon bucket, which lowers the cost of optically figuring and polishing the mirror. The entrie optical ground terminal facility is estimated to cost approximately $10M to construct.

deep-space↗

Direct Broadcast Satellite-Radio, Receiver Development

This paper reports on the status of the ongoing Direct Broadcast Satellite-Radio (DBS-R) Receiver Development Task being performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology (JPL). This work is sponsored by the Voice of America/U.S Information Agency through an agreement with NASA.

Radio↗

Mars Sample Return (MSR) Sample Receiving Facility (SRF) Assessment Study (MSAS)

The Mars Sample Return (MSR) campaign, initiated in 2020 with the launch of the Per-severance Rover, is an international partnership be-tween NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) to return Martian geological samples to Earth for scientific study in the early 2030s. Not only is MSR the first mission to bring samples back to Earth from an-other planet, it is the first time since Apollo 14to have a mission classified as a Category V: Restricted Earth Return by the NASA Planetary Protection Office due to the possibility that the samples could harbor extra-terrestrial life. As a result of this classification, the Sample Receiving Facility (SRF)must not only pro-vide a pristine environment to ensure samples are protected from terrestrial contamination for scientific investigations, it must also provide high-containment (biosafety level 4 [BSL-4]-equivalence)to isolate the samples from Earth’s biosphere until the samples are deemed safe for release and/or sterilized.

Mars Sample Return↗

R&D 100, 2016: Falling Particle Receiver

After several years of design and development, the world's first continuously recirculating high-temperature Falling Particle Receiver for Concentrated Solar Energy was constructed and tested at Sandia National Laboratories. This technology enables clean, renewable energy and electricity on demand with cheap, efficient storage at costs comparable with fossil-fuel-based plants.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Selection and Use Considerations for Laser Power Photovoltaic Receivers

III-V PV receivers provide high performance over wide range of application conditions. Operating conditions including irradiance and cell temperature must be accounted for. Very high efficiencies demonstrated for small GaAs devices. Potential for significant future advances in performance, especially for other wavelengths and for cost.

GaAs↗

Chamber measurements of high CO 2 emissions from a rainforest stream receiving old C-rich regional groundwater

Carbon emissions from fluvial systems are a key component of local and regional carbon cycles. We used floating chambers to investigate the CO 2 flux from stream water to air (f CO 2 ) in the Arboleda, a stream in the lowland rainforest of Costa Rica, fed partly by old regional groundwater high in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). Drifting and static chambers showed f CO 2 averaging 35.5 and 72.7 μmol C m –2 s –1 , respectively, bracketing the previously-published f CO 2 value of 56 μmol C m –2 s –1 obtained using tracer methods in this stream. These values are much higher than most f CO 2 data in the literature and reflect a large flux of deep crustal (non-biogenic) CO 2 out of the Arboleda, a flux that does not represent a component of ecosystem respiration. Static chambers appeared to overestimate f CO 2 by creating artificial turbulence, while drifting chambers may have underestimated f CO 2 by under-sampling areas of potentially high gas exchange (e.g., riffles around coarse woody debris obstructions). Both static and drifting chambers revealed high spatial heterogeneity in f CO 2 at the scale of 5–30 m reaches. Some observed temporal trends were localized, e.g., among three reaches with repeated measurements through the wet and dry seasons, (1) only the reach located between the other two showed significantly lower f CO 2 during the dry season, and (2) the highest and lowest f CO 2 were consistently observed in the reaches farthest upstream and downstream, respectively. As a result, streams like the Arboleda receiving significant inputs of high-DIC regional groundwater merit additional study as hotspots for C emissions from terrestrial ecosystems.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Noise analysis of optimized Ge/Ge{sub 1−x}Sn{sub x}/Ge p–n–p heterojunction phototransistors for long-wavelength optical receivers

Present literature investigates noise analysis and optimal design for Ge/Ge{sub 1−x}Sn{sub x}/Ge based p–n–p heterojunction phototransistors (HPT) for long-wavelength optical receivers. We calculate gain, noise powers, signal-to-noise ratio, absorption coefficient and optical responsivity of proposed GeSn-based HPT and investigate their dependence on various structural parameters to optimize the design. The proposed HPT incorporates Ge{sub 1−x}Sn{sub x} alloy in the base layer as the active layer, allow to extend the photo detection range from near infrared to mid-infrared to achieve a wide range of detection. The results show that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is strongly dependent on the operating frequency and the introduction of Sn in the base layer can improve the signal-to-noise ratio in the high-frequency region. The calculated results also show that even in the presence of small defects and misfit dislocations at the heterointerfaces, high SNR is still achievable for the proposed structure.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Analysis of thermal and mechanical properties with inventory level of the molten salt storage tank in central receiver concentrating solar power plants

Molten salt thermal energy storage (TES) tanks ensure steady power output of concentrating solar power (CSP) plants; however, recent tank failures have highlighted the need for further analysis. Current studies primarily focus on analyzing the molten salt flow, heat transfer, and thermal efficiency. Additionally, research on the latest tank structures is limited and lacks newest experimental validation. This study measures temperature and molten salt inventory levels in the high-temperature tank at a 50 MW central receiver CSP plant, connected to the power grid in 2019. A multi-physics model was developed to evaluate thermal and mechanical properties of TES tanks by combining computational fluid dynamics and finite element modeling using real plant data. Heat loss, temperature, displacement, and stress distribution of the tank at different inventory levels were investigated. Results show that ambient air velocity near the tank roof reaches 2.14 m/s, much higher than 0.2 m/s near the wall. The temperatures of inventory fluid and tank are close, varying slightly at different levels due to thermal conduction and radiation. Because the heat loss strongly depends on temperature, the total tank loss remains nearly constant across inventory levels. Larger temperature gradients and thermal stresses are primarily localized along the tank floor edge and the air-salt interface. Notably, the maximum thermal stress at the tank edge is three times higher than that at the interface. The magnitude of total stress changes by less than 5 MPa with and without thermal load, indicating that high temperatures exert only a minor impact on tank stress. In contrast, thermal load significantly affects tank deformation, particularly at the roof edge, where values exceed 150 mm. Despite the large variation in molten salt levels, tank wall temperatures and displacements present a minor change, suggesting a weak correlation with inventory levels. In conclusion, the findings obtained in this study provide important insights on the TES tank that could be used to optimize tank design and operation strategies.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Determining failure properties of as-received and hydrided unirradiated Zircaloy-4 from ring compression tests

An integrated experimental and computational approach was developed to determine the plastic strain at fracture and to investigate the fracture energy of as-received and hydrided unirradiated Zircaloy-4 nuclear cladding tubes in the hoop direction at room temperature from ring compression testing (RCT). This work builds on previous methods in the literature that were developed to obtain the mechanical properties of nuclear cladding before fracture (Young’s modulus, yield stress, and strain-hardening parameters) from experimental RCT results and extends the characterization of this material class to include material failure properties. Furthermore, a ductile damage approach was developed and implemented in a validated finite element model to predict material failure, evaluate fracture energy, and quantify the plastic strain at fracture initiation. The hydrogen content of the Zircaloy-4 specimens was varied up to 610 wppm when the failure became brittle. As expected, increasing hydrogen content caused embrittlement of the Zircaloy-4 samples tested and the plastic strain at fracture and fracture energy to decrease.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗