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At least 1,135 records · Page 63
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1955

A Dye-Tracer Technique for Experimentally Obtaining Impingement Characteristics of Arbitrary Bodies and a Method for Determining Droplet Size Distribution

A dye-tracer technique has been developed whereby the quantity of dyed water collected on a blotter-wrapped body exposed to an air stream containing a dyed-water spray cloud can be colorimetrically determined in order to obtain local collection efficiencies, total collection efficiency, and rearward extent of impingement on the body. In addition, a method has been developed whereby the impingement characteristics obtained experimentally for a body can be related to theoretical impingement data for the same body in order to determine the droplet size distribution of the impinging cloud. Several cylinders, a ribbon, and an aspirating device to measure cloud liquid-water content were used in the studies presented herein for the purpose of evaluating the dye-tracer technique. Although the experimental techniques used in the dye-tracer technique require careful control, the methods presented herein should be applicable for any wind tunnel provided the humidity of the air stream can be maintained near saturation.

VonGlahn, Uwe H.↗
NASA NTRS1953

A Method for Rapid Determination of the Icing Limit of a Body in Terms of the Stream Conditions

The effects of existing frictional heating were analyzed to determine the conditions under which ice formations on aircraft surfaces can be prevented. A method is presented for rapidly determining by means of charts the combination of-Mach number, altitude, and stream temperature which will maintain an ice-free surface in an icing cloud. The method can be applied to both subsonic and supersonic flow. The charts presented are for Mach numbers up to 1.8 and pressure altitudes from sea level to 45,000 feet.

Callaghan, Edmund E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Determination of two-stroke engine exhaust noise by the method of characteristics

A computational technique was developed for the method of characteristics solution of a one-dimensional flow in a duct as applied to the wave action in an engine exhaust system. By using the method, it was possible to compute the unsteady flow in both straight pipe and tuned expansion chamber exhaust systems as matched to the flow from the cylinder of a small two-stroke engine. The radiated exhaust noise was then determined by assuming monopole radiation from the tailpipe outlet. Very good agreement with experiment on an operation engine was achieved in the calculation of both the third octave radiated noise and the associated pressure cycles at several locations in the different exhaust systems. Of particular interest is the significance of nonlinear behavior which results in wave steepening and shock wave formation. The method computes the precise paths on the x-t plane of a finite number of C(sub +), C(sub -) and P characteristics, thereby obtaining high accuracy in determining the tailpipe outlet velocity and the radiated noise.

Jones, A. D.↗
NASA NTRS1981

High precision attitude determination for Magsat

A two phase approach to attitude determination software development is introduced. The prelaunch planning and software activities connected with the development and testing of the baseline system for processing nominal attitude data for MAGSAT are described and postlaunch analysis and modifications are outlined. Attitude data processing began 5 months after launch so that postlaunch anomalies could be accounted for. Another advantage of the two phase approach is that costs are reduced because the system is not burdened with software dealing with all possible contingencies. A definitive, continuous, time history of the three axis attitude of the spacecraft was generated to a precision of 20 arc sec (one standard deviation), in each axis. Sensor alignment determinations were done continuously because of the deletrious effects of changing alignments on attitude precision.

Abshire, G.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The determination of the stacking fault energy in copper-nickel alloys

Methods for determining the stacking fault energies of a series of nickel-copper alloys to gain an insight into the embrittling effect of hydrogen are evaluated. Plans for employing weak beam dark field electron microscopy to determine stacking fault energies are outlined.

Leighly, H. P., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Determination of eigenvalues of dynamical systems by symbolic computation

A symbolic computation technique for determining the eigenvalues of dynamical systems is described wherein algebraic operations, symbolic differentiation, matrix formulation and inversion, etc., can be performed on a digital computer equipped with a formula-manipulation compiler. An example is included that demonstrates the facility with which the system dynamics matrix and the control distribution matrix from the state space formulation of the equations of motion can be processed to obtain eigenvalue loci as a function of a system parameter. The example chosen to demonstrate the technique is a fourth-order system representing the longitudinal response of a DC 8 aircraft to elevator inputs. This simplified system has two dominant modes, one of which is lightly damped and the other well damped. The loci may be used to determine the value of the controlling parameter that satisfied design requirements. The results were obtained using the MACSYMA symbolic manipulation system.

Howard, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Evaluation of the IMP-16 microprocessor orbit determination system filter

The results of the numerical tests performed in evaluating the interplanetary monitoring platform-16 orbit determination system are presented. The system is capable of performing orbit determination from satellite to satellite tracking data in applications technology satellite range and range rate format. The estimation scheme used is a Kalman filter, sequential (recursive) estimator. Descriptions of the tests performed and tabulations of the numerical results are included.

Shenitz, C. M.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Automated Orbit Determination System (AODS) requirements definition and analysis

The requirements definition for the prototype version of the automated orbit determination system (AODS) is presented including the AODS requirements at all levels, the functional model as determined through the structured analysis performed during requirements definition, and the results of the requirements analysis. Also specified are the implementation strategy for AODS and the AODS-required external support software system (ADEPT), input and output message formats, and procedures for modifying the requirements.

Waligora, S. R.↗
NASA NTRS1981

A method for unambiguous determination of starspot temperatures and areas - Application to II Pegasi, BY Draconis, and HD 209813

A method is presented for the unique derivation of both starspot temperatures and effective areas from the range of standardized V and R light curves obtained through the rotation periods, and the method is applied to spots observed on II Pegasi, BY Draconis, and HD 209813. The method involves the determination of the temperature difference between the spot and the surrounding photosphere from V and V-R photometry and the Barnes-Evans visual surface brightness relation, and area determination by the derivation of a parameterized effective area representing the fractional area of disk covered by spots under the assumption that the spot or spot group is adequately described by a single circular spot. By this method, an effective temperature of 3400 K and an area representing 37% of the facing hemisphere are derived for the large, cool spot observed on II Pegasi during 1977, an effective temperature of 3500 K and area of 34% are derived for BY Dra and an effective temperature of less than 3840 K is obtained for HD 209813. The derived starspot temperatures, which are believed to correspond to the starspot penumbrae, imply umbral temperatures of 2600-2900 K, in excellent agreement with the 3 kilogauss umbral spot models of Mullan (1974). The geometric modelling of the formation and migration of the spot on BY Dra also indicates a differential rotation amounting to -9.7 x 10 to the -9th rad/sec per deg, in agreement with the solar value.

Vogt, S. S.↗
NASA NTRS1981

A technique for evaluating the influence of spatial sampling on the determination of global mean total columnar ozone

A technique is described for providing a means of evaluating the influence of spatial sampling on the determination of global mean total columnar ozone. A finite number of coefficients in the expansion are determined, and the truncated part of the expansion is shown to contribute an error to the estimate, which depends strongly on the spatial sampling and is relatively insensitive to data noise. First and second order statistics are derived for each term in a spherical harmonic expansion which represents the ozone field, and the statistics are used to estimate systematic and random errors in the estimates of total ozone.

Tolson, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Determining performance parameters of general aviation aircraft

A method for determining propeller efficiency and drag from flight tests, using relatively simple instrumentation, is under development at Mississippi State University. Flight test data from several simple maneuvers are combined to produce sufficient information to determine the desired parameters. Information obtained from the transient response of airspeed to a step change in power or drag in level flight is utilized. Theory is developed and results of preliminary computer studies and preliminary flight test are presented.

Bull, G.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Determination of vertical ozone distributions by spacecraft measurements using a limb-scan technique

The principle of a new inversion technique which uses multiple wavelength-solar UV radiation satellite measurements for determining vertical ozone profiles is described, and examples of computer simulations for 280, 300, 320, and 340 nm are discussed. Weighting functions corresponding to the sensitivity of the limb radiance to the relative ozone density at each altitude are the basis for the inversion equation, which is then solved by an iteration technique. The use of multiple wavelengths can provide more information of higher accuracy over a wider height range than those profiles recovered at a single wavelength. It is indicated that an effective range of altitude of approximately 20-70 km with a vertical resolution of 1-2 km is feasible for determining ozone profiles with an inferred profile error about three to four times larger than the measurement error within that altitude region. Ozone profile accuracy of the highest altitude region may be improved using wavelengths down to 260 nm, and inferred ozone profiles above 70 km are possible, but with a larger error.

Aruga, T.↗
NASA NTRS1981

On the uncertainty in the determination of ground reflectance and temperature from TM measurements

Uncertainties in the derivation of the ground reflectance and temperature relative to the uncertainty in the estimation of aerosol loading and water vapor amount are presented. To compute the reflectance for TM 1 (thematic mapper) through TM6, a doubling model is used, and to compute satellite-received radiance for TM7, an emission-transmission model is employed. It is shown that at a water vapor concentration of higher than 50% above normal, the relative sensitivity remains as low as 8% for ground reflectance determinations. The relative sensitivity for determining ground temperature for midlatitude summer climatological profile is less than 5%, but as the ground temperature is approximately 300 K, low sensitivity still means a variation of a few degrees. An increase in water vapor amount causes an uncertainty in ground temperature and reflectance calculations comparable to the uncertainty in aerosol loading and water vapor amount estimations.

Kiang, R. K.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Determining the Orientation of Anisotropic Materials

Ultrasonics probe direction of tile fibers. Hand-held acoustic transducer determines fiber orientation of heat resistant tiles. Transducers head placed on outer surface of painted tile. Signals from receiving transducers displayed on two-channel oscilloscope. Application suggests extending technique to inspection of other anisotropic materials. Plywood and fiber/epoxy composites examined to determine fiber direction; ultrasonics used to find direction of roll in sheet metal and other rolled products.

Sugg, F. E.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Evaluation of methods for rapid determination of freezing point of aviation fuels

Methods for identification of the more promising concepts for the development of a portable instrument to rapidly determine the freezing point of aviation fuels are described. The evaluation process consisted of: (1) collection of information on techniques previously used for the determination of the freezing point, (2) screening and selection of these techniques for further evaluation of their suitability in a portable unit for rapid measurement, and (3) an extensive experimental evaluation of the selected techniques and a final selection of the most promising technique. Test apparatuses employing differential thermal analysis and the change in optical transparency during phase change were evaluated and tested. A technique similar to differential thermal analysis using no reference fuel was investigated. In this method, the freezing point was obtained by digitizing the data and locating the point of inflection. Results obtained using this technique compare well with those obtained elsewhere using different techniques. A conceptual design of a portable instrument incorporating this technique is presented.

Mathiprakasam, B.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Determination of intercontinental baselines and Earth orientation using VLBI

A series of experiments was conducted during the last decade to explore the capability of very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) to measure the crustal and rotational motions of the Earth with accuracies at the centimeter level. The observing stations are those of NASA's Deep Space Network in California, Spain and Australia. A multiparameter fit to the observed values of delay and delay rate yields radio source positions, polar motion, universal time, the precession constant, baseline vectors, and solid Earth tides. Source positions are obtained with formal errors of the order of 0''.01. UT1-UTC and polar motion are determined at 49 epochs, with formal error estimates for the more recent data of 0.5 msec for UT1-UTC and 2 to 6 mas for polar motion. Intercontinental baseline lengths are determined with formal errors of 5 to 10 cm. The Love numbers and Earth tide phase lag agree with the commonly accepted values.

Sovers, O. J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Determining 3-D motion and structure from image sequences

A method of determining three-dimensional motion and structure from two image frames is presented. The method requires eight point correspondences between the two frames, from which motion and structure parameters are determined by solving a set of eight linear equations and a singular value decomposition of a 3x3 matrix. It is shown that the solution thus obtained is unique.

Huang, T. S.↗