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At least 109 records · Page 6

Technology assessment

The effects of process temperature (reforming temperature) on the overall hydrogen production process were examined. These effects are principally confined to the hydrogen production and the hydrogen purification processing units.

Source record↗

Stereomolecular interactions and microsystems in experimental protobiogenesis

A theory on the origin of the first reproducing (in the sense of Fox, 1973) cells on earth is presented. A degree of self-ordering has been observed in the selective thermal reactions of certain ones of the amino acids which have been found in samples of meteorites, lunar samples, and terrestrial lava, and which have been synthesized from formaldehyde and ammonia under conditions modeling those assumed to have been present in the primitive earth. The genetic code is supposed to have arisen from a nonrandom matrix of preproteins. The ordering of preproteins specified limitations in the identity of the pre-enzymes and primordial microsystems which gave rise to contemporary living systems. The evolution of progresively more complex system was largely determined by stereochemical forces involving the shapes of the molecules themselves and the regulatory effects of the confines of the microsystems.

Fox, S. W.↗

Some aspects of double layer formation in a plasma constrained by a magnetic mirror

The shift from wave-generated anomalous resistivity toward the more large-scale effects of magnetic confinement of current carrying plasmas was inspired by the more extensive data on auroral particle distribution functions that were made available, data that may often seem consistent with a dissipation-free acceleration of auroral electrons over an extended altitude range. Efforts to interpret these data have brought new vigor to the concept that a smooth and static electric field can be self-consistently generated by suitable pitch angle anisotropies among the high altitude particle populations, different for electrons and ions, and that such an electric field is both necessary and sufficient to maintain the plasma in a quasi-neutral steady state. Certain aspects of this concept are reviewed and criticized, both from a general theoretical standpoint and from the standpoint of what is known about the magnetospheric environment. It is argued that this concept has flaws and that the actual physical problem is considerably more complicated, requiring a more complex electric field, possibly including double layer structures.

Lennartsson, W.↗

Low-noise behavior of InGaAs quantum-well-structured modulation-doped FET's from 10 to the -2nd to 10 to the 8 Hz

Equivalent gate noise voltage spectra of 1-micron gate-length modulation-doped FET's with pseudomorphic InGaAs quantum-well structure have been measured for the frequency range of 0.01 Hz to 100 MHz and commpared with the noise spectra of conventional AlGaAs/GaAs MODFET's and GaAs MESFET's. The prominent generation-recombination (g-r) noise bulge commonly observed in the vicinity of 10 kHz in conventional MODFET's at 300 K does not appear in the case of the new InGaAs quantum-well MODFET. Instead, its noise spectra indicate the presence of low-intensity multiple g-r noise components superimposed on a reduced 1/f noise. The LF noise intensity in the new device appears to be the lowest among those observed in any MODFET or MESFET. The noise spectra at 82 K in the new device represent nearly true 1/f noise. This unusual low-noise behavior of the new structure suggests the effectiveness of electron confinement in the quantum well that significantaly reduces electron trapping in the n-AlGaAs, and thus eliminates the g-r noise bulge observed in conventional MODFET's.

Liu, Shih-Ming J.↗

Particle acceleration at shocks with surface ripples

The present treatment of superthermal-ion acceleration on the surface of a fast-mode hydromagnetic shock gives attention to (1) small-amplitude surface ripples characterized by width L and amplitude A that are large relative to the energetic-ion gyroradius, and (2) shocks which are on average quasi-perpendicular. An investigation is made of the effects of the confinement, evolving geometry, and finite shock curvature associated with the ripple, by integrating along the orbits of the proton test particles. As an upstream magnetic field line convects through the surface ripple, it intersects the shock at two points, thereby forming a temporary magnetic trap. Flux-line profiles and angular distributions in a given ripple differ substantially, depending on the path it takes through the ripple and its distance from the shock.

Decker, R. B.↗

Behavior of compacted lunar simulants using new vacuum triaxial device

The objectives of this study are to create a lunar simulant locally from a basaltic rock and to design and develop a vacuum triaxial test device that can permit testing of compacted lunar simulant under cyclic loading with different levels of initial vacuum. Triaxial testing is performed in the device itself without removing the compacted specimen. Preliminary constrained compression and triaxial shear tests are performed to identify effects of initial confinements and vacuums. The results are used to define deformation and strength parameters. At this time, vacuum levels up to 0.0001 are possible. The research can aid in the development of compacted materials for various construction applications.

Desai, Chandra S.↗

Engine Knock and Combustion Chamber Form

The present report is confined to the effect of the combustion chamber shape on engine knock from three angles, namely: 1) The uniformity of flame-front movement as affected by chamber design and position of the spark plug; 2) The speed of advance of the flame as affected by turbulence and vibrations; 3) The reaction processes in the residual charge as affected by the walls.

Zinner, Karl↗

Annual Research Briefs, 1998

The topics contained in this progress report are direct numerical simulation of turbulent non-premixed combustion with realistic chemistry; LES of non-premixed turbulent reacting flows with conditional source term estimation; measurements of the three-dimensional scalar dissipation rate in gas-phase planar turbulent jets; direct simulation of a jet diffusion flame; on the use of interpolating wavelets in the direct numerical simulation of combustion; on the use of a dynamically adaptive wavelet collocation algorithm in DNS (direct numerical simulation) of non-premixed turbulent combustion; 2D simulations of Hall thrusters; computation of trailing-edge noise at low mach number using LES and acoustic analogy; weakly nonlinear modeling of the early stages of bypass transition; interactions between freestream turbulence and boundary layers; interfaces at the outer boundaries of turbulent motions; largest scales of turbulent wall flows; the instability of streaks in near-wall turbulence; an implementation of the v(sup 2) - f model with application to transonic flows; heat transfer predictions in cavities; a structure-based model with stropholysis effects; modeling a confined swirling coaxial jet; subgrid-scale models based on incremental unknowns for large eddy simulations; subgrid scale modeling taking the numerical error into consideration; towards a near-wall model for LES of a separated diffuser flow; on the feasibility of merging LES with RANS (Reynolds Averaging Numerical simulation) for the near-wall region of attached turbulent flows; large-eddy simulation of a separated boundary layer; numerical study of a channel flow with variable properties; on the construction of high order finite difference schemes on non-uniform meshes with good conservation properties; development of immersed boundary methods for complex geometries; and particle methods for micro and macroscale flow simulations.

Spinks, Debra↗

Psychosocial issues in long-term space flight: overview

Anecdotal evidence of the individual and interpersonal problems that occurred during the Shuttle-Mir Space Program (SMSP) and other long-duration Russian/Soviet missions, and studies of personnel in other isolated and confined extreme (ICE) environments suggest that psychosocial elements of behavior and performance are likely to have a significant impact on the outcome of long-duration missions in space. This impact may range from individual decrements in performance, health and well being, to catastrophic mission failure. This paper reviews our current understanding of the psychosocial issues related to long duration space missions according to three different domains of behavior: the individual domain, the interpersonal domain and the organizational domain. Individual issues include: personality characteristics that predict successful performance, stress due to isolation and confinement and its effect on emotions and cognitive performance, adaptive and maladaptive coping styles and strategies, and requirements for the psychological support of astronauts and their families during the mission. Interpersonal issues include: impact of crew diversity and leadership styles on small group dynamics, adaptive and maladaptive features of ground-crew interactions, and processes of crew cohesion, tension and conflict. Organizational issues include: the influence of organizational culture and mission duration on individual and group performance, and managerial requirements for long duration missions. Improved screening and selection of astronaut candidates, leadership, coping and interpersonal skills training of personnel, and organizational change are key elements in the prevention of performance decrements on long-duration missions.

Review, Tutorial↗

Hypersonic Flight and the Re-Entry Problem: The Twenty-First Wright Brothers Lecture

Up to this point the discussion of the problems of rocket vehicles has been confined to the effects of phenomena which have in the past been important ones for lower speed aircraft and will continue to be important for aircraft of all speeds. Now with considerable extension of both speed and altitude, other phenomena also become important. The nature of some problems will be altered, as a result, and new problems, of course, will be encountered. First, it is well to note that our interest in bluff bodies for ballistic vehicles in particular, and in rounded-nosed bodies generally, has changed our emphasis in aerodynamics. The detached bow waves which occur with such bodies at high supersonic speeds complicate the calculations of the flow-field characteristics. In the present period, much attention is being given to such studies. In addition, at the very high altitudes attained by most of the rocket-craft, the mean free path of air molecules can be of the same order, or long, compared to the dimensions of the vehicles. Thus, slip-flow and free-molecule-flow studies are of interest, particularly for satellite vehicles." The aerodynatnicist must deal with air having unfamiliar states and properties. Second, at hypersonic speeds where, for example, air is greatly decelerated, it may undergo considerable change in composition, the degree of change depending upon many factors. Dissociation of oxygen and nitrogen molecules can occur and, in addition, thermal ionization of many of the constituents. It is naturally to be expected that the convective heat transfer will, as a result, be altered from what it was for the "perfect" gas, and this has been the subject of much recent research effort. Moreover, the decelerated gas becomes capable of radiating energy and the radiative heat transfer must generally be considered for hypersonic vehicles, particularly for long-range ballistic rockets. It is not only the aerodynamic heating problems that are affected. The fact that at very high air temperature the gas becomes electrically conductive introduces new problems in radio wave transmission and reception. In addition, a conducting gas flow can, of course, be influenced by a magnetic field. The study of such flows, which has been termed "magneto gas dynamics," is still in too primitive a state to indicate how important a role it can play, but many interesting possibilities suggest themselves. Third, our experience with airplanes powered by air-breathing engines has naturally been restricted to the stratosphere, or lower. Our ignorance increases with altitude. For rockets, literally, "the sky's the limit," and it is not surprising that a great emphasis has now been placed on obtaining a more thorough understanding of the whole atmosphere. These studies are not aimed at an understanding of the chemical and physical characteristics alone, but also of the occurrence of high-energy particles, from meteors to cosmic rays, and the nature of the problems they will promote.

Wright Brother↗

A Simplified Theory of Porous Wall Cooling

The rate of heat transfer between a fluid stream in turbulent flow and a smooth, solid wall is largely controlled by the relatively high resistance of the laminar sublayer next to the wall. Although this laminar layer ii extremely thin, heat can be transferred through it only by molecular diffusion. Hence the resistance of this layer is very much greater than for a layer the same thickness farther out in the stream where turbulent exchange is the controlling factor. The thickness of the laminar layer is difficult to define precisely, since there is a gradual transition to the turbulent flow outside, but for the usual scale of many engineering applications almost half the temperature difference between the fluid and the wall occurs in a layer of a few thousands of an inch in thickness. When the wall is made of porous material and a coolant gas is forced through the wall into the stream, it has been found that a very small flow rate of the coolant is remarkably effective in keeping the wall at a low temperature. The coolant flow rate required is such as to give an average velocity normal cooling wall of the order of 1 per cent of the main stream velocity. This flow rate is so low that clearly the injected gas must act as an insulator rather than as a normal coolant. Because of its relatively low velocity, the injected gas can have very little influence on heat convection or momentum transfer in the turbulent stream, and its effect must be confined to the laminar sublayer. The possible influence of the coolant flow on the thickness of the laminar layer will be discussed in Section V.

Rannie, W. D.↗

NASA Crew Health & Performance Capability Development for Exploration: 2022 to 2023 Overview

NASA has identified twenty-eight specific risks to human health and performance that must be adequately understood and addressed to enable future crewed missions to Mars. These risks are due to radiation, reduced gravity, distance from earth, isolation and confinement, and the effects of living within artificially created and controlled life support environments. Research and technology development is required to better understand these risks and to inform, develop, and test technologies and strategies to mitigate these risks. NASA’s System Capability Leads coordinate across the agency to continually identify, prioritize, and monitor technology investments in support of these future missions. This paper describes progress over the past year in strategic planning, coordination, and technology development related to crew health and performance capabilities that are needed for future Mars missions. Technology maturation progress and future plans are described in the following capability areas: crew health countermeasures; spacesuit physiology and performance; food and nutrition; and exploration medical capabilities.

Andrew F J Abercromby↗

On the mixing of a row of jets with a confined crossflow

Mean temperature profiles calculated with an interactive microcomputer code which evaluates dilution-zone design alternatives are presented to show the effects of flow and geometric variables on the mixing of a single row of jets injected through sharp-edged orifices into a uniform flow of a different temperature in a constant area duct. In addition, this program is used to calculate profiles for opposed rows of jets with their centerlines in-line, by assuming that the confining effect of an opposite wall is equivalent to that of a plane of symmetry between opposed jets.

Holdeman, J. D.↗

Effect of Body Nose Shape on the Propulsive Efficiency of a Propeller

Report presents the results of an investigation of the propulsive efficiency of three adjustable propellers of 10-foot diameter operated in front of four body nose shapes, varying from streamline nose that continued through the propeller plane in the form of a large spinner to a conventional open-nose radial-engine cowling. One propeller had airfoil sections close to the hub, the second had conventional round blade shanks, and the third differed from the second only in pitch distribution. The blade-angle settings ranged from 20 degrees to 55 degrees at the 0.75 radius. The effect of the body nose shape on propulsive efficiency may be divided into two parts: (1) the change in the body drag due to the propeller slipstream and (2) the change in propeller load distribution due to the change in velocity caused by the body. For the nose shape tested in the report, the first effect is shown to be very small; therefore, the chief emphasis of the report is confined to the second effect.

Stickle, George W↗

Perspectives on the mixing of a row of jets with a confined crossflow

An interactive computer code, written for a microcomputer, is presented which displays 2-D and 3-D oblique plots of the temperature distribution downstream of jets mixing with a confined crossflow, for either single-side or opposed jet injection. Temperature profiles calculated with this routine are presented to show the effects of flow and geometric variables on the mixing. Examples are shown to illustrate the different perspectives on the mixing available by exercising various view options. In addition, the program is used to calculate profiles for opposed rows of jets with their centerlines in-line, by assuming that the confining effect of an opposite wall is equivalent to that of a plane of symmetry between opposed jets.

Holdeman, J. D.↗

Improved thermal-conducting and current-confining film

Ge film that replaces SiO2 coating in method of fabricating room-temperature CW laser diodes achieves greater heat dissipation while maintaining effectiveness as current-confining medium. Film also lessens certain unwanted strain parameters and ultimately increases lifetime of lasers. Method is applicable to fabrication of InP and (AlGa)As CW lasers.

Hawrylo, F. Z.↗

Straight-line IC removal tool

Tool operates by applying force perpendicularly to socket plane. Tool can be operated in cramped or confined quarters and can effect integrated circuit removal without damage. It may also be useful to hold nut or bolt in confined space while tightening, when it is not possible to use conventional tool.

Marzek, R. A.↗