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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 1,063 records · Page 59
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Performance of the active sidewall boundary-layer removal system for the Langley 0.3-meter Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel

A performance evaluation of an active sidewall boundary-layer removal system for the Langley 0.3-m Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel (TCT) was evaluated in 1988. This system uses a compressor and two throttling digital valves to control the boundary-layer mass flow removal from the tunnel. The compressor operates near the maximum pressure ratio for all conditions. The system uses a surge prevention and flow recirculation scheme. A microprocessor based controller is used to provide the necessary mass flow and compressor pressure ratio control. Initial tests on the system indicated problems in realizing smooth mass flow control while running the compressor at high speed and high pressure ratios. An alternate method has been conceived to realize boundary-layer mass flow control which avoids the recirculation of the compressor mass flow and operation near the compressor surge point. This scheme is based on varying the speed of the compressor for a sufficient pressure ratio to provide needed mass flow removal. The system has a mass flow removal capability of about 10 percent of test section flow at M = 0.3 and 4 percent at M = 0.8. The system performance has been evaluated in the form of the compressor map, and compressor tunnel interface characteristics covering most of the 0.3-m TCT operational envelope.

Balakrishna, S.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Design, fabrication and test of a 4750 Newton-meter-second double Gimbal control moment gyroscope

The development of a prototype Control Moment Gyroscope (CMG) is discussed. Physical characteristics and the results of functional testing are presented to demonstrate the level of system performance obtained. Particular attention is given to how the man-rated mission requirement influenced the choice of the materials, fabrication, and design details employed. Comparisons are made of the measured system responses against the prediction generated by computer simulation.

Cook, Lewis↗
NASA NTRS1989

The NASA Langley Research Center 0.3-meter transonic cryogenic tunnel T-P/Re-M controller manual

A new microcomputer based controller for the 0.3-m Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel (TCT) has been commissioned in 1988 and has reliably operated for more than a year. The tunnel stagnation pressure, gas stagnation temperature, tunnel wall structural temperature and flow Mach number are precisely controlled by the new controller in a stable manner. The tunnel control hardware, software, and the flow chart to assist in calibration of the sensors, actuators, and the controller real time functions are described. The software installation details are also presented. The report serves as the maintenance and trouble shooting manual for the 0.3-m TCT controller.

Balakrishna, S.↗
NASA NTRS1989

A new method for analysis of limit cycle behavior of the NASA/JPL 70-meter antenna axis servos

A piecewise linear method of analyzing the effects of discontinuous nonlinearities on control system performance is described. The limit cycle oscillatory behavior of the system resulting from the nonlinearities is described in terms of a sequence of linear system transient responses. The equations are derived which relate the initial and the terminal conditions of successive transients and the boundary conditions imposed by the non-linearities. The method leads to a convenient computation algorithm for prediction of limit cycle characteristics resulting from discontinuous nonlinearities such as friction, deadzones, and hysteresis.

Hill, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Application of optimal control theory to the design of the NASA/JPL 70-meter antenna servos

The application of Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) techniques to the design of the 70-m axis servos is described. Linear quadratic optimal control and Kalman filter theory are reviewed, and model development and verification are discussed. Families of optimal controller and Kalman filter gain vectors were generated by varying weight parameters. Performance specifications were used to select final gain vectors.

Alvarez, L. S.↗
NASA NTRS1989

DSN 70-meter antenna microwave optics design and performance improvements. Part 1: Design optimization

The design optimizations associated with the microwave and structural upgrade of the DSN 64-m antennas are discussed. Expected area efficiency/gain performances at S- and X-band are given for both the original 64-m systems and the upgraded 70-m systems, and error estimates are developed. The DSN 70-m Upgrade Project specifications, based on predesign estimates, were 1.4-dB gain at S-band and 1.9-dB at X-band, with no degradation to critical receiving system noise temperatures. The measurements show an S-band gain increase of 1.9 dB and an average increase of 2.1 dB at X-band. The Project also delivered small receiving system noise decreases at both frequency bands. The three DSN 70-m antennas, in the initial state of mechanical adjustment as of the end of calendar year 1988, are performing with very high peak microwave area efficiencies at very nearly the engineering design expectations of 76 percent at S-band and 71 percent at X-band.

Bathker, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1989

DSN 70-meter antenna X- and S-band calibration. Part 1: Gain measurements

Aperture efficiency measurements made during 1988 on the three 70-m stations (DSS-14, DSS-43, and DSS-63) at X-band (8420 MHz) and S-band (2295 MHz) have been analyzed and reduced to yield best estimates of antenna gain versus elevation. The analysis has been carried out by fitting the gain data to a theoretical expression based on the Ruze formula. Newly derived flux density and source-size correction factors for the natural radio calibration sources used in the measurements have been used in the reduction of the data. Peak gains measured at the three stations were 74.18 (plus or minus 0.10) dBi at X-band, and 63.34 (plus or minus 0.03) dBi at S-band, with corresponding peak aperture efficiencies of 0.687 (plus or minus 0.015) and 0.762 (plus or minus 0.006), respectively. The values quoted assume no atmosphere is present, and the estimated absolute accuracy of the gain measurements is approximately plus or minus 0.2 dB at X-band and plus or minus 0.1 dB at S-band (1-sigma values).

Richter, P. H.↗
NASA NTRS1989

DSN 70-meter antenna X- and S-band calibration. Part 2: System noise temperature measurements and telecommunications link evaluation

The X- and S-band system operating noise temperatures of the Deep Space Network (DSN) 70-m antennas are presented. Models of atmosphere and ground noise temperature contributions, as they affect the antenna calibrations, are given for future use in telecommunications link modeling. The measured 70-m antenna network gain/system noise temperature (G/T) performance is presented. Compared with the earlier 64-m antenna network, G/T improvements of from 1.8 dB to 2.5 dB, depending on elevation angle, were achieved. G/T comparisons are made with the DSN/Flight Project Design Handbook and the Voyager telecommunications design control table. Actual Voyager telecommunications link performance is compared with predictions made by TPAP (the Voyager telecommunications prediction and analysis program) and with measured performance of the individual 70-m antennas. A modification in the use of antenna gain, system noise temperature, and atmospheric attenuation in existing telecommunications design control tables is suggested.

Slobin, S. D.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Near-field testing of the 15-meter hoop-column antenna

A 15-m-diameter antenna was tested to verify that dimensional tolerances for acceptable performance could be achieved and to verify structural, electromagnetic, and mechanical performance predictions. This antenna utilized the hoop column structure, a gold plated molybdenum mesh reflector, and 96 control cables to adjust the reflector conformance with a paraboloid. The dimensional conformance of the antenna structure and surface was measured with metric camera and theodolites. Near field pattern data were used to assess the electromagnetic performance at five frequencies from 2.225 to 11.6 GHz. The reflector surface was adjusted to greatly improve electromagnetic performance with a finite element model and the surface measurements. Measurement results show that antenna surface figure and adjustments and electromagnetic patterns agree well with predictions.

Schroeder, Lyle C.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Sidewall boundary-layer removal effects on wall adaptation in the Langley 0.3-meter transonic cryogenic tunnel

This paper describes the Langley 0.3-m transonic cryogenic tunnel sidewall boundary-layer removal system and is integrated operation with the adaptive wall adjustment. Empty test section measurements show the sidewall boundary-layer displacement thickness at the model station is reduced from about 1.0 to 0.6 percent of the test section width when the maximum boundary-layer removal conditions are applied. Tests with a supercritical airfoil model show the iterative top and bottom wall adaptation process performs satisfactorily with sidewall boundary-layer removal.

Murthy, A. V.↗
NASA NTRS1988

A demonstration of sub-meter GPS orbit determination and high precision user positioning

It was demonstrated that the submeter GPS (Global Positioning System) orbits can be determined using multiday arc solutions with the current GPS constellation subset visible for about 8 h each day from North America. Submeter orbit accuracy was shown through orbit repeatability and orbit prediction. North American baselines of 1000-2000 km length can be estimated simultaneously with the GPS orbits to an accuracy of better than 1.5 parts in 108 (3 cm over 2000 km distance) with a daily precision of two parts in 108 or better. The most reliable baseline solutions are obtained using the same type of receivers and antennas at each end of the baseline. Baselines greater than 1000 km distance from Florida to sites in the Caribbean region have also been determined with daily precision of 1-4 parts in 108. The Caribbean sites are located well outside the fiducial tracking network and the region of optimal GPS common visibility. Thus, these results further demonstrate the robustness of the multiday arc GPS orbit solutions.

Bertiger, Willy I.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Demonstration of sub-meter GPS orbit determination and 1.5 parts in 10 to the 8th three-dimensional baseline accuracy

Strategies for the estimation of precise GPS orbits and ground baselines, designed to minimize error sources related to the GPS orbit accuracy and the tropospheric delay, are demonstrated. Using GPS data from field experiments conducted in 1985 and 1986, it is shown that, by carefully selecting well-known stations to serve as reference points and by using the GPS data to determine high-accuracy GPS orbits and to solve for wet tropospheric delay fluctuations, the 2000-km baselines in North America can now be estimated with the accuracy better than 1.5 parts in 10 to the 8th. Using these strategies, better than l-m accuracy was achieved for the two best-tracked satellites (of the seven total operational GPS satellites).

Lichten, Stephen M.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Structural concepts for very large (400-meter-diameter) solar concentrators

A general discussion of various types of large space structures is presented. A brief overview of the history of space structures is presented to provide insight into the current state-of-the art. Finally, the results of a structural study to assess the viability of very large solar concentrators are presented. These results include weight, stiffness, part count, and in-space construction time.

Mikulas, Martin M., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Performance effects of tie-truss modifications for a 70-meter centerline beam waveguide antenna

The elevation-axis tie truss of the 70-m antennas would have to be modified to accommodate a centerline beam waveguide. To accomplish this, the center section of the tie truss has to be altered, causing a change in the tie-truss compliance and affecting structural performance. Even with the center section completely removed, the worst-case rms pathlength error due to gravity load is increased from 0.025 to only 0.030 inches. Using a simple postprocessor technique, the effects of modifying the compliance can be predicted without resorting to multiple and costly re-analyses of large finite-element models on a mainframe computer.

Cucchissi, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Disturbance torque rejection properties of the NASA/JPL 70-meter antenna axis servos

Analytic methods for evaluating pointing errors caused by external disturbance torques are developed and applied to determine the effects of representative values of wind and friction torque. The expressions relating pointing errors to disturbance torques are shown to be strongly dependent upon the state estimator parameters, as well as upon the state feedback gain and the flow versus pressure characteristics of the hydraulic system. Under certain conditions, when control is derived from an uncorrected estimate of integral position error, the desired type 2 servo properties are not realized and finite steady-state position errors result. Methods for reducing these errors to negligible proportions through the proper selection of control gain and estimator correction parameters are demonstrated. The steady-state error produced by a disturbance torque is found to be directly proportional to the hydraulic internal leakage. This property can be exploited to provide a convenient method of determining system leakage from field measurements of estimator error, axis rate, and hydraulic differential pressure.

Hill, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Structural fatigue in the 34-meter HA-Dec antennas

Structural modifications to the 34-m hour-angle-declination antennas, coupled with the use of the antennas beyond their intended lifespans, have led to structural fatigue, as evidenced by damage to the declination drive gear and cracks on the structural members and gussets. An analysis and simulation were made of the main antenna structural members. The analysis showed that the total stress to the antenna structure substantially exceeds the maximum levels recommended by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). Although each of the separate static conditions of stress is only 50 percent of the total stress and does not reach the AISC reduced yield limit, fatigue can and did occur, causing the material to crack in the weakest places.

Vanhek, R. A.↗