SEARCH · Engineering Papers
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.
Family of high-performance, tunable diode lasers developed for use as local oscillators in passive laser heterodyne spectrometer. Diodes fabricated using standard IC processes include photolithography, selective etching and vacuum deposition of metals and insulators. Packaging refinements improved thermal-cycling characteristics of diodes and increased room-temperature shelf life.
Several assertions are argued regarding mode analysis of structural vibration. The idea of a "mode' is, in essence, a mathematical one. It is highly unlikely that any real structure can vibrate exactly so that all its points move in unison; in other words, it is highly unlikely that any structure has any modes. As an approximation, however, the use of a mode is an excellent one for many structures, especially for the "lower modes'. The agreement between experiment and theory for the "higher modes' tends to become weaker. In this approximate sense, most structures have a very large number of modes. It is elementary to show, however, that no real structure has an infinite number of modes. The only utility of the "infinite modes' idea is within the purely mathematical domain. Many "error indices' can be defined as guidelines for structural modal order reduction. Simple modal truncation, although suggested by experience with slender rods, is naive. The proper process is mode selection, based on a appropriate error criterion.
Master processor supervises slave processors, each with its own memory. Computer with parallel processing serves as inexpensive tool for experimentation with parallel mathematical algorithms. Speed enhancement obtained depends on both nature of problem and structure of algorithm used. In parallel-processing architecture, "bank select" and control signals determine which one, if any, of N slave processor memories accessible to master processor at any given moment. When so selected, slave memory operates as part of master computer memory. When not selected, slave memory operates independently of main memory. Slave processors communicate with each other via input/output bus.
An optimization capability for sizing airframe structures that are subjected to a combination of deterministic and random flight loads was established. The random vibration environment introduces the need for selecting a statistical process that best describes the random loads and permits computation of the dynamic response parameters of interest. Furthermore, it requires a formulation of design constraints that would minimize the conservativeness in the design and retain computational viability. The random loads are treated as a stationary, homogeneous process with a Gaussian probability distribution. The formulation of the analysis problem, the structure of the optimization programming system and a representative numerical example are discussed.
PRM (polymerization of monomeric reactants) methodology was used to prepare thirty different polyimide oligomeric resins. Monomeric composition as well as chain length between sites of crosslinks were varied to examine their effects on glass transition temperature (Tg) of the cured/postcured resins. An almost linear correlation of Tg versus molecular distance between the crosslinks was observed. An attempt was made to correlate Tg with initial mechanical properties (flexural strength and interlaminar shear strength) of unidirectional graphite fiber composites prepared with these resins. However, the scatter in mechanical strength data prevented obtaining as clear a correlation as was observed for the structural modification/crosslink distance versus Tg. Instead, only a range of composite mechanical properties was obtained at the test temperatures studied (room temperature, 288 and 316 C). Perhaps more importantly, what did become apparent during the attempted correlation study was: (1) that PMR methodology could be used to prepare composites from resins that contain a wide variety of monomer modifications, and (2) that these composites almost invariably provided satisfactory initial mechanical properties as long as the resins selected were melt processable.
A development program was performed to establish whether a corrosion-resistant bearing material, such as a 14Cr steel, could be modified to allow carburization, thereby providing the excellent fracture toughness characteristics feasible with this process. The alloy selected for investigation was AMS 5749. Several modifications were made including the addition of a small amount of nickel for austenite stabilization. While some promising results were achieved, the primary objective of an acceptable combination of case hardness and microstructure was not attained. Because the high chromium content presents a serious problem in achieving a viable carburizing cycle, a number of experimental steels having lower chromium contents (8 to 12%) were produced in laboratory quantities and evaluated. The results were basically the same as those initially obtained with the modified AMS 5749. Corrosion tests were performed on AMS 5749, AISI M50, and 52100 bearing steels as well as some of the lower chromium steels. These tests showed that a reduced chromium level (10 to 12%) provided essentially the same corrosion protection as the 14Cr steels.
Competing processes previously called 'selective decay' and 'dynamic alignment' are studied numerically for two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. In selective decay, the energy decays relatively to mean-square vector potential, and in dynamic alignment, the energy decays relatively to cross helicity. In the former case, the kinetic (fluid) energy decays to zero and the magnetic energy occupies the largest scales allowed by the boundary conditions. In the latter case, the velocity field and magnetic field become aligned and energetically equipartitioned. An extensive study of the initial value problem, with viscous and resistive dissipation, indicates that four distinct regimes of behavior are possible: a magnetically dominated regime, a velocity dominated regime, a dynamic alignment dominated regime, and a transition regime separating the others in parameter space. An analytical variational problem predicts several features seen in the computations, including geometrical alignment of velocity and magnetic fields, constraints on global quantities in the long-time limit, and in some cases, condensation to long wavelength modes.
PRM (polymerization of monomeric reactants) methodology was used to prepare thirty different polyimide oligomeric resins. Monomeric composition as well as chain length between sites of crosslinks were varied to examine their effects on glass transition temperature (Tg) of the cured/postcured resins. An almost linear correlation of Tg versus molecular distance between the crosslinks was observed. An attempt was made to correlate Tg with initial mechanical properties (flexural strength and interlaminar shear strength) of unidirectional graphite fiber composites prepared with these resins. However, the scatter in mechanical strength data prevented obtaining as clear a correlation as was observed for the structural modification/crosslink distance versus Tg. Instead, only a range of composite mechanical properties was obtained at the test temperatures studied (room temperature, 288 and 316 C). Perhaps more importantly, what did become apparent during the attempted correlation study was: (1) that PMR methodology could be used to prepare composites from resins that contain a wide variety of monomer modifications, and (2) that these composites almost invariably provided satisfactory initial mechanical properties as long as the resins selected were melt processable.
KPD 0005 + 5106 observations including high- and low-resolution IUE and Voyager UV spectra, high-resolution spectra at optical wavelengths, and a low-resolution spectrum at red wavelengths are presented. The only detected transitions from a heavier element assignable to the stellar photosphere is the N V 1240 A doublet; hydrogen and some probable CNO ions are also detected in the emission. It is suggested that the detected nitrogen is most likely due to selective radiative acceleration processes.
The Goldstone Deep Space Station ground-based synthetic aperture radar system has been used to obtain radar images of Venus with resolutions of close to 1.3 km. Observations were made at 12.5 cm wavelength using circular polarization. From 12 days of observations during the 1986 inferior conjunction, three images have been selected for initial processing. The images show remarkable surface features including craters, ridges, and regions of high Fresnel reflectivity in the plains region.
The development of a probabilistic structural analysis methodology (PSAM) is described. In the near-term, the methodology will be applied to designing critical components of the next generation space shuttle main engine. In the long-term, PSAM will be applied very broadly, providing designers with a new technology for more effective design of structures whose character and performance are significantly affected by random variables. The software under development to implement the ideas developed in PSAM resembles, in many ways, conventional deterministic structural analysis code. However, several additional capabilities regarding the probabilistic analysis makes the input data requirements and the resulting output even more complex. As a result, an intelligent front- and back-end to the code is being developed to assist the design engineer in providing the input data in a correct and appropriate manner. The type of knowledge that this entails is, in general, heuristically-based, allowing the fairly well-understood technology of production rules to apply with little difficulty. However, the PSAM code, called NESSUS, is written in FORTRAN-77 and runs on a DEC VAX. Thus, the associated expert system, called NESSUS/EXPERT, must run on a DEC VAX as well, and integrate effectively and efficiently with the existing FORTRAN code. This paper discusses the process undergone to select a suitable tool, identify an appropriate division between the functions that should be performed in FORTRAN and those that should be performed by production rules, and how integration of the conventional and AI technologies was achieved.
Unique modular computer features compactness, low power, mass storage of data, multiprocessing, and choice of various input/output modes. Master processor communicates with user via usual keyboard and video display terminal. Coordinates operations of as many as 24 slave processors, each dedicated to different experiment. Each slave circuit card includes slave microprocessor and assortment of input/output circuits for communication with external equipment, with master processor, and with other slave processors. Adaptable to industrial process control with selectable degrees of automatic control, automatic and/or manual monitoring, and manual intervention.
Detailed ion-probe data are reported on Murchison and Murray C2 chondrites, along with noble-gas data on Murchison, with the purpose of characterizing the number and isotopic composition of independent SiC components and to link them to their stellar sources. Results show that coarse-grained and fine-grained SiC (totaling about 6-9 ppm of the two meteorites) contains record concentrations of two exotic components: Ne-E(H) (nearly monoisotopic Ne-22) and Se-S (enriched in isotopes 128, 130, and 132), respectively. The Ne-21 content was found to exceed up to 40-fold the content expected from the recent cosmic-ray irradiation, implying a presolar cosmic-ray exposure age of about 39 Ma. This age is much shorter that the predicted 500 Ma lifetime of refractory interstellar grains and implies either a selective interstellar destruction process for SiC, enhanced supernova activity in the protosolar neighborhood, or late outgassing of greater than 90 percent of the SiC.
Corrosion evaluation studies were conducted on 4130 alloy steel samples coated with electrodeposited zinc-nickel and samples coated with electrodeposited cadmium. The zinc nickel was deposited by the selection electrochemical metallizing process. These coated samples were exposed to a 5-percent salt fog environment at 35 plus or minus 2 C for a period ranging from 96 to 240 hours. An evaluation of the effect of dichromate coatings on the performance of each plating was conducted. The protection afforded by platings with a dichromate seal was compared to platings without the seal. During the later stages of testing, deposit adhesion and the potential for hydrogen entrapment were also evaluated.
The design process used to select sensors for feedback and performance weights on the Minimast facility is discussed. Initially, a series of controllers are synthesized using H2 optimal control techniques for the given structural model, a variety of sensor locations and performance criteria to determine the best displacement sensor and/or accelerometers to be used for feedback. Upon selection of the sensors, controllers are formulated to determine the affect of using a reduced-order model of the Minimast structure instead of the higher-order structural analysis model for control design and the relationship between the actuator torque level and the closed-loop performance. Based on this information, controllers are designed using micro-synthesis techniques and implemented on the Minimast structure. Results of the implementation of these controllers on the Minimast experimental facility are presented.
About 4000 X-ray images obtained with the Einstein Observatory are used to measure the 0.16-4.0 keV emission from 1545 B-type SAO stars falling in the about 10 percent of the sky surveyed with the IPC. Seventy-four detected X-ray sources with B-type stars are identified, and it is estimated that no more than 15 can be misidentified. Upper limits to the X-ray emission of the remaining stars are presented. In addition to summarizing the X-ray measurements and giving other relevant optical data, the present extensive catalog discusses the reduction process and analyzes selection effects associated with both SAO catalog completeness and IPC target selection procedures. It is concluded that X-ray emission, at the level of Lx not less than 10 exp 30 ergs/s, is quite common in B stars of early spectral types (B0-B3), regardless of luminosity class, but that emission, at the same level, becomes less common, or nonexistent, in later B-type stars.
This paper describes the selection and training process of satellite controllers and data network operators performed at INPE's Satellite Tracking and Control Center in order to prepare them for the mission operations of the INPE's first (SCD1) satellite. An overview of the ground control system and SCD1 architecture and mission is given. Different training phases are described, taking into account that the applicants had no previous knowledge of space operations requiring, therefore, a training which started from the basics.
In this paper, we propose a design of an active vision system for intelligent robot application purposes. The system has the degrees of freedom of pan, tilt, vergence, camera height adjustment, and baseline adjustment with a hierarchical control system structure. Based on this vision system, we discuss two problems involved in the binocular gaze stabilization process: fixation point selection and vergence disparity extraction. A hierarchical approach to determining point of fixation from potential gaze targets using evaluation function representing human visual behavior to outside stimuli is suggested. We also characterize different visual tasks in two cameras for vergence control purposes, and a phase-based method based on binarized images to extract vergence disparity for vergence control is presented. A control algorithm for vergence control is discussed.