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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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Basic parameters for application of laser Doppler velocimeter, cross beam technique in three modes of operation obtained by computer programming
Viscous flow in supersonic de Laval nozzle, measuring gas density and rotational temperatures by electron beam techniques
The electron-beam technique for evaporating a dielectric material onto solar cells is investigated. A process has been developed which will provide a highly transparent, low stress, 2 mil thick cover capable of withstanding conventional space type qualification tests including humidity, thermal shock, and thermal cycling. The covers have demonstrated the ability to withstand 10 to the 15th power 1 MeV electrons and UV irradiation with minor darkening. Investigation of the cell AR coating has produced a space qualifiable titanium oxide coating which will give an additional 6% current output over similar silicon oxide coated cells when covered by glass.
The electron-beam technique for evaporating dielectric materials onto solar cells has been examined and developed. Titanium oxide cell antireflection coatings have been obtained which compare to silicon monoxide in environmental capabilities and which provide 3 to 4% improvement over SiO for glass covered cells. Evaporation processes have been obtained which provide a 50 to 100 micromil thick transparent (0.5 to 1.0% absorption per mil), low stressed integral cover capable of surviving space type qualification testing. Irradiation with 10 to the 15th power 1-MeV electrons shows 2% darkening, and long term UV irradiation incurs approximately 1.3% cover darkening for 50 micromil thick covers.
The mathematical bases for the direct measurement of sound source intensities in turbulent jets using the crossed-beam technique are discussed in detail. It is found that the problems associated with such measurements lie in three main areas: (1) measurement of the correct flow covariance, (2) accounting for retarded time effects in the measurements, and (3) transformation of measurements to a moving frame of reference. The determination of the particular conditions under which these problems can be circumvented is the main goal of the study.
New N2 vibrational temperature data, obtained in expanding N2 and air using the electron beam technique, are analyzed permitting the vibrational relaxation times to be determined as a function of temperature. In addition, the effects on N2 vibrational relaxation times of direct vibrational energy transfer between N2 and H2O, between N2 and O2, and between N2 and free electrons introduced from arc contaminants are analyzed. The vibrational relaxation times determined from the present measurements agree with those measured in the expanding flows of shock tunnels and impact tubes. These expanding data also agree with relaxation times observed in acoustical resonant cavities where alternating compressions and expansions take place. The relaxation times in expanding flows (vib-tran exchange process) are found to be approximately 50 times faster than those measured in the compressing flow of shock tubes (tran-vib exchange process). This evidence strongly supports the concept that one relaxation time distribution cannot be applied to both exchange processes.
Review of the surface anomalies occurring in Schottky-barrier particle detectors identifiable by means of an electron beam technique employed by Czaja (1965) for analyzing defects in diode structures. The technique is shown to make possible the detection and identification of the following anomalies: (1) chemical contamination of the detector surface; (2) mechanical damage of the wafer substrates; (3) damage introduced in semiconductor surface preparation; (4) radiation damage; and (5) defective surface metallization.
The results are presented of a trade study designed to identify a synchronous satellite antenna system suitable for receiving and transmitting data from lower orbiting satellites at both S- and K sub u-bands simultaneously as part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. All related problems associated with maintaining a data link between two satellites with a K sub u-band half-power beamwidth of 0.4 db are considered including data link maintenance techniques, beam pointing accuracies, gimbal and servo errors, solar heating, angle tracking schemes, acquisition problems and aids, tracking accuracies versus SNR, antenna feed designs, equipment designs, weight and power budgets, and detailed candidate antenna system designs.
Results are presented of measurements obtained with an open-source mass spectrometer both in earth orbit and in a laboratory molecular beam facility. The mass spectrometer/ion source combination was developed in the laboratory to be operable in either of two modes by altering ion extraction potential on ground command, i.e., as a stagnation cavity or to respond only to the incoming molecules of the unperturbed atmosphere. Results indicate that the use of this open-source configuration and dual-mode capability, allied with both standard static calibration and dynamic calibration using high-speed molecular beam techniques in the laboratory, allows collection of useful data on aeronomy of the upper atmosphere of planets and comet tails.
Heterojunction diodes of indium tin oxide films sputtered on to p-silicon using ion-beam techniques display significant photovoltaic effects when exposed to sunlight. Galvanomagnetic and optical measurements confirm that the oxide films are highly degenerate transparent semiconductors. At a tin oxide concentration of 10%, an open-circuit voltage of 0.51 V was observed along with a short-circuit current of 32 mA/sq cm, a fill factor of 0.70, and a conversion efficiency of 12%. As the concentration was raised to 70%, the voltage remained steady, the current fell to 27 mA/sq cm, and the fill factor fell to 0.60
A new method for silicon solar cell fabrication is being developed around ion implantation and pulsed electron beam techniques. Cells are fabricated totally in a vacuum environment at room temperature. Major reductions result in the time, energy consumption, and waste material generation associated with solar cell production. Cells to date have exhibited air mass zero efficiencies exceeding 10 percent.
Matrix compositions of 32 of the approximately 40 known carbonaceous chondrites were analyzed using an electron probe defocussed-beam technique. Except in those chondrites that show evidence of metamorphism, matrices are compositionally similar and have correlation coefficients of +0.96 or greater. The implications of these analyses for the chemistry of individual matrix phases and for primitive solar system material are discussed.
A new method for fabrication of silicon solar cells is being developed around ion implantation in conjunction with pulsed electron beam techniques to replace conventional furnace processing. Solar cells can be fabricated totally in a vacuum environment at room temperature. Cells with 10% AM0 efficiency have been demonstrated. High efficiency cells and effective automated processing capabilities are anticipated.
In an extension of "thermal lens" effect to new applications and better resolution, two laser beams combine to rapidly measure thermal diffusivity and other molecular dynamic properties. New double-beam technique handles very small samples unlike classical techniques for measuring diffusivity. It can be used for measurements on samples undergoing stress, making it applicable to data collection for structural engineering.
The primary objectives of this study were to obtain the necessary data and develop a calculation procedure that would facilitate predicting the atmospheric-helium contribution to the drag of a satellite having a predominantly convex exterior. Molecular-beam techniques were used to measure, for several incidence angles, the spatial and energy distributions of 7000 m/s helium atoms scattered from a 6061-T6 aluminum plate and an anodized 1235-0 aluminum surface. From these measured distributions, tangential and normal momentum accommodation coefficients were calculated as functions of incidence angle. Using these calculated accommodation coefficients, one can predict drag coefficients for satellites having predominantly convex exteriors. For spherical satellites, drag coefficients of 2.64 and 2.62 were predicted for the subject surfaces.
The Ribbon-to-Ribbon (RTR) process for growth of silicon ribbon is described. This process involves the fabrication of a microcrystalline ribbon of silicon and subsequent grain size enhancement through a laser recrystallization process. The microribbon is obtained from a Thermal Expansion Shear Separation (TESS) process which allows a CVD layer of silicon to be separated from a temporary molybdenum substrate. Efforts to achieve increased solar cell efficiencies and higher area production rates have been problematical. Furnaces, which are necessary for thermal stress control, have been shown to contribute contamination to substrates resulting in degraded efficiencies. Recent results with a new furnace design indicate efficiencies in excess of 9% will be routine. Limitations to area throughput arise due to fundamental linear velocity limitations and width limitations necessary to prevent the occurrence of thermal buckling. Calculations are reported which show the influence of thermal profile on buckling tendencies, and a proposed electron beam technique is considered which promises high throughput with minimal buckling.
Studies of the structure, stability, electronic properties, and formation kinetics of small clusters were reviewed which provide information useful in furthering understanding of nucleation processes, liquid state properties, and the nature of surfaces. Using mass spectrometric coupled with various high pressure ion clustering and Stark effect-molecular beam techniques, the details of the primary clustering steps leading to the nucleation of bulk liquid from the vapor were and obtained by direct observation results are presented.
Absolute charge-transfer cross sections for collisions of protons with hydrogen and deuterium atoms have been measured within the energy range 0.1 to 150 eV using the merging-beams technique. The results are in excellent agreement with a fully quantum-mechanical treatment of this reaction. Earlier measurements which extended down to about 10 eV lie somewhat above the present values.