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At least 1,261 records · Page 70
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1978

Inorganic-organic separators for alkaline batteries

A flexible separator is reported for use between the electrodes of Ni-Cd and Ni-Zn batteries using alkaline electrolytes. The separator was made by coating a porous substrate with a battery separator composition. The coating material included a rubber-based resin copolymer, a plasticizer and inorganic and organic fillers which comprised 55% by volume or less of the coating as finally dried. One or more of the filler materials, whether organic or inorganic, is preferably active with the alkaline electrolyte to produce pores in the separator coating. The plasticizer was an organic material which is hydrolyzed by the alkaline electrolyte to improve conductivity of the separator coating.

Sheibley, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Solubility, stability, and electrochemical studies of sulfur-sulfide solutions in organic solvents

A preliminary study of the sulfur electrode in organic solvents suggests that the system warrants further investigation for use in a low temperature (100 deg to 120 C) Na-S secondary battery. A qualitative screening was undertaken at 120 C to determine the solubilities and stabilities of Na2S and Na2S2 in representatives of many classes of organic solvents. From the screening and quantitative studies, two classes of solvents were selected for work; amides and cyclic polyalcohols. Voltammetric and Na-S cell charge discharge studies of sulfide solutions in organic solvents (e.g., N, N-dimethylformamide) at 120 C suggested that the reversibilities of the reactions on Pt or high density graphite were moderately poor. However, the sulfur electrode was indeed reducible (and oxidizable) through the range of elemental sulfur to Na2S. Reactions and mechanisms are proposed for the oxidation reduction processes occurring at the sulfur electrode.

Fielder, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1977

INMARSAT - The International Maritime Satellite Organization: Origins and structure

The third session of the International Conference on the Establishment of an International Maritime Satellite System established the International Maritime Satellite Organization (INMARSAT) in 1976. Its main functions are to improve maritime communications via satellite, thereby facilitating more efficient emergency communications, ship management, and maritime public correspondence services. INMARSAT's aims are similar to those of the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO), the main United Nations organization dealing with maritime affairs. The specific functions of INMARSAT have been established by an Intersessional Working Group (IWG) which met three times between general conference meetings. Initial investment shares for the creation of INMARSAT were shared by the United States (17%), the United Kingdom (12%), the U.S.S.R. (11%), Norway (9.50%), Japan (8.45%), Italy (4.37%), and France (3.50%).

Doyle, S. E.↗
NASA NTRS1977

The search for organic substances and inorganic volatile compounds in the surface of Mars

A total of four Martian samples, one surface and one subsurface sample at each of the two Viking landing sites, Chryse Planitia and Utopia Planitia, have been analyzed for organic compounds by a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. In none of these experiments could organic material of Martian origin be detected at detection limits generally of the order of parts per billion and for a few substances closer to parts per million. The evolution of water and carbon dioxide, but not of other inorganic gases, was observed upon heating the sample to temperatures of up to 500 C. The absence of organic compounds seems to preclude their production on the planet at rates that exceed the rate of their destruction. It also makes it unlikely that living systems that behave in a manner similar to terrestrial biota exist, at least at the two Viking landing sites.

Biemann, K.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Pyrolysis of organic compounds in the presence of ammonia The Viking Mars lander site alteration experiment

The influence of ammonia on the pyrolysis pattern of selected organic substances sorbed on an inorganic phase was investigated. The thermal degradation products were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The feasibility of this technique was tested on a meteoritic sample. All substances examined react with ammonia at the pyrolysis temperature of 500 C, the major products being nitriles and heterocyclic compounds in which nitrogen was incorporated. Based on these results, a model for the non-equilibrium production of organic compounds on Jupiter is discussed. The investigation was performed in connection with the Viking lander molecular analysis. The results obtained indicate that the concentrations of ammonia in the retrorocket fuel exhaust would have been probably too small to produce significant changes in the Martian soil organic compounds if any were found.

Holzer, G.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Photocatalytic oxidation of organic compounds on Mars

Ultraviolet-stimulated catalytic oxidation is proposed as a mechanism for the destruction of organic compounds on Mars. The process involves the presence of gaseous oxygen, UV radiation, and a catalyst (titanium dioxide), and all three of these have been found to be present in the Martian environment. Therefore it seems plausible that UV-stimulated oxidation of organics is responsible for degrading organic molecules into inorganic end products.

Chun, S. F. S.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Organic chemistry in space

Organic cosmochemistry, organic materials in space exploration, and biochemistry of man in space are briefly surveyed. A model of Jupiter's atmosphere is considered, and the search for organic molecules in the solar system and in interstellar space is discussed. Materials and analytical techniques relevant to space exploration are indicated, and the blood and urine analyses performed on Skylab are described.

Johnson, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Hot-atom synthesis of organic compounds on Jupiter

Results of recent laboratory 'simulations' of photochemical processes on Jupiter are combined with available data on mixing rates and exposure times in the Jovian atmosphere to give quantitative predictions of the rate at which hot-atom reactions produce organic molecules. It is shown that abstraction reactions on methane by hot H atoms from solar UV photolysis of H2S will produce no more than 4 times 10 to the -17th power g/sq cm/sec for a steady-state mole fraction of total organics of approximately 10 to the -16th power. This is roughly 10 to the 7th power times less than the limit of detection of the most sensitive gas analysis experiments ever flown on a spacecraft. By far the most common organic molecule produced by this mechanism is CH3SH, methyl mercaptan, which is produced at a rate at least 600 times smaller than the rate of production of ethane by direct photolysis of CH4 at high altitudes.

Lewis, J. S.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Organic chemistry on Titan

Features taken from various models of Titan's atmosphere are combined in a working composite model that provides environmental constraints within which different pathways for organic chemical synthesis are determined. Experimental results and theoretical modeling suggest that the organic chemistry of the satellite is dominated by two processes: photochemistry and energetic particle bombardment. Photochemical reactions of CH4 in the upper atmosphere can account for the presence of C2 hydrocarbons. Reactions initiated at various levels of the atmosphere by cosmic rays, Saturn 'wind', and solar wind particle bombardment of a CH4-N2 atmospheric mixture can account for the UV-visible absorbing stratospheric haze, the reddish appearance of the satellite, and some of the C2 hydrocarbons. In the lower atmosphere photochemical processes will be important if surface temperatures are sufficiently high for gaseous NH3 to exist. It is concluded that the surface of Titan may contain ancient or recent organic matter (or both) produced in the atmosphere.

Chang, S.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Some final conclusions and supporting experiments related to the search for organic compounds on the surface of Mars

The Viking molecular analysis experiment has demonstrated the absence (within the detection limits which range from levels of parts per million to below parts per billion) of organic substances in the Martian surface soil at the two Viking landing sites. Laboratory experiments with sterile and nonsterile antarctic samples further demonstrate the capability and reliability of the instrument. The circumstances under which organic components could have escaped detection, such as inaccessibility or extreme thermal stability of organic polymers, are discussed but are found to be unlikely. The inability of the instrument to detect free oxygen evolved from soil samples is pointed out.

Biemann, K.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Electrophotolysis oxidation system for measurement of organic concentration in water

Methods and apparatus for determining organic carbon in aqueous solution are described. The method comprises subjecting the aqueous solution to electrolysis, for generating oxygen from water, and simultaneously to ultraviolet radiation, for oxidation of substantially all organic carbon to carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is measured and the value is related to the concentration of organic carbon in the aqueous solution.

Winkler, H. E.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Production and condensation of organic gases in the atmosphere of Titan

The rates and altitudes for the dissociation of atmospheric constituents on Titan are calculated for solar ultraviolet radiation, the solar wind, Saturn magnetospheric particles, the Saturn co-rotating plasma, and cosmic rays. Laboratory experiments show that a variety of simple gas phase organic molecules and more complex organic solids called tholins are produced by such irradiations of simulated Titanian atmospheres. Except for ultraviolet wavelengths longward of the methane photodissociation continuum, most dissociation events occur between about 3100 and 3600 km altitude, corresponding well to the region of EUV opacity detected by Voyager. For a wide variety of simple to moderately complex organic gases in the Titanian atmosphere, condensation occurs below the top of the main cloud deck at about 2825 km. It is proposed that such condensates, beginning with CH4 at about 2615 km, comprise the principal mass of the Titan clouds. There is a distinct tendency for the atmosphere of Titan to act as a fractional distillation device, molecules of greater complexity condensing out at higher altitudes.

Sagan, C.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Influence of dissolved organic materials on turbid water optical properties and remote-sensing reflectance

The effects of dissolved organic materials on turbid-water optical properties are assessed, by means of field measurements and laboratory simulations in which upwelled reflectance, attenuation, absorption, and backscatter spectral properties at wavelengths from 450 to 800 nm are examined in relation to water chemistry. The data show that dissolved organic materials decrease upwelled reflectance from turbid waters, and that the decrease in reflectance is a nonlinear function of concentration with the largest gradients at low carbon concentrations, depending on wavelength. Upwelled reflectance is found to be highly correlated with two backscatter-absorption parameters used in some optical models, which are nonlinear with dissolved organic material concentration change.

Witte, W. G.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Organic analysis of the Antarctic carbonaceous chondrites

Thus far, organic analysis of carbonaceous chondrites has proven the only fruitful means of examining complex organic matter of extraterrestrial origin. The present paper presents the results of organic analysis of two Antarctic meteorites, Allan Hills (77306) and Yamato (74662), which may be considered free from terrestrial contamination. Ion-exchange chromatography, gas chromatography and mass spectrometery of meteorite samples reveal the presence in Yamato of 15 and in Allan Hills of 20 protein and nonprotein amino acids, the most abundant of which are glycine and alanine. Abundances of the D and L enantiomers of each amino acid are also found to be nearly equal. Data thus indicate an abiotic extraterrestrial origin for the matter, and confirm a lack of terrestrial contamination.

Kotra, R. K.↗
NASA NTRS1983

An RC-1 organic Rankine bottoming cycle for an adiabatic diesel engine

A system analysis and preliminary design were conducted for an organic Rankine-cycle system to bottom the high-temperature waste heat of an adiabatic diesel engine. The bottoming cycle is a compact package that includes a cylindrical air cooled condenser regenerator module and other unique features. The bottoming cycle output is 56 horsepower at design point conditions when compounding the reference 317 horsepower turbocharged diesel engine with a resulting brake specific fuel consumption of 0.268 lb/hp-hr for the compound engine. The bottoming cycle when applied to a turbocompound diesel delivers a compound engine brake specific fuel consumption of 0.258 lb/hp-hr. This system for heavy duty transport applications uses the organic working fluid RC-1, which is a mixture of 60 mole percent pentafluorobenzene and 40 mole percent hexafluorobenzene. The thermal stability of the RC-1 organic fluid was tested in a dynamic fluid test loop that simulates the operation of Rankine-cycle. More than 1600 hours of operation were completed with results showing that the RC-1 is thermally stable up to 900 F.

Dinanno, L. R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Brine organisms and the question of habitat-specific adaptation

The question of adaptivity to extremely saline water environments is discussed, with attention given to the evolutionary performance of four common organisms including Cladonia skottsbergii, Penicillium notatum, Nostoc, and Dunaliella salina. Samples of each organism were collected and subjected to experimental conditions similar to extreme marine and limnetic environments in the Dead Sea and Don Juan Pond in the upper Wright valley of Antarctica. Measurements were made of isotope uptake and carbon dioxide production, and photoautotrophs were taken. It is found that all of the organisms responded quickly to the need to adapt to the extreme environments. It is concluded that a degree of uncertainty exists in the perception that the abundance of bulk water on the earth is in itself essential for life.

Siegel, B. Z.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Production and condensation of organic gases in the atmosphere of Titan

The rates and altitudes for the dissociation of atmospheric constituents on Titan are calculated for solar ultraviolet radiation, the solar wind, Saturn magnetospheric particles, the Saturn co-rotating plasma, and cosmic rays. Laboratory experiments show that a variety of simple gas phase organic molecules and more complex organic solids called tholins are produced by such irradiations of simulated Titanian atmospheres. Except for ultraviolet wavelengths longward of the methane photodissociation continuum, most dissociation events occur between about 3100 and 3600 km altitude, corresponding well to the region of EUV opacity detected by Voyager. For a wide variety of simple to moderately complex organic gases in the Titanian atmosphere, condensation occurs below the top of the main cloud deck at about 2825 km. It is proposed that such condensates, begining with CH4 at about 2615 km comprise the principal mass of the Titan clouds. There is a distinct tendency for the atmosphere of Titan to act as a fractional distillation device, molecules of greater complexity condensing out at higher altitudes.

Sagan, C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Mass Spectrometer for Airborne Micro-Organisms

Bacteria and other micro-organisms identified continously with aid of new technique for producing samples for mass spectrometer. Technique generates aerosol of organisms and feeds to spectrometer. Given species of organism produces characteristic set of peaks in mass spectrum and thereby identified. Technique useful for monitoring bacterial makeup in environmental studies and in places where cleanliness is essential, such as hospital operating rooms, breweries, and pharmaceutical plants.

Sinha, M. P.↗