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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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At least 1,279 records · Page 71

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NASA NTRS1992

Space reactor power system programs overview

The present development history and current development status evaluation of space reactor power system technologies gives attention to subsystem and component readiness and performance, and assesses the technology data base available in each case. This data base characterization gives attention to the most compatible reactor-power conversion system combinations for prospective DOD and commercial missions, as well as NASA missions. Candidate systems for near, middle, and far term application are selected and prioritized on the basis of technical risk. The programs covered encompass SNAPs 1, 2, 8, and 10A, SNAP 50, and SP-100.

Bloomfield, Harvey S.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Flight-vehicle materials, structures, and dynamics - Assessment and future directions. Vol. 3 - Ceramics and ceramic-matrix composites

The present volume discusses ceramics and ceramic-matrix composites in prospective aerospace systems, monolithic ceramics, transformation-toughened and whisker-reinforced ceramic composites, glass-ceramic matrix composites, reaction-bonded Si3N4 and SiC composites, and chemical vapor-infiltrated composites. Also discussed are the sol-gel-processing of ceramic composites, the fabrication and properties of fiber-reinforced ceramic composites with directed metal oxidation, the fracture behavior of ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs), the fatigue of fiber-reinforced CMCs, creep and rupture of CMCs, structural design methodologies for ceramic-based materials systems, the joining of ceramics and CMCs, and carbon-carbon composites.

Levine, Stanley R.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Environmental durability of ceramics and ceramic composites

An account is given of the current understanding of the environmental durability of both monolithic ceramics and ceramic-matrix composites, with a view to the prospective development of methods for the characterization, prediction, and improvement of ceramics' environmental durability. Attention is given to the environmental degradation behaviors of SiC, Si3N4, Al2O3, and glass-ceramic matrix compositions. The focus of corrosion prevention in Si-based ceramics such as SiC and Si3N4 is on the high and low sulfur fuel combustion-product effects encountered in heat engine applications of these ceramics; sintering additives and raw material impurities are noted to play a decisive role in ceramics' high temperature environmental response.

Fox, Dennis S.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Application of laminar flow control to the High Speed Civil Transport - The NASA Supersonic Laminar Flow Control Program

The NASA Supersonic Laminar Flow Control (SLFC) program encompasses the development of refined CFD methods and boundary layer stability codes for the highly 3D supersonic flow conditions encountered by the F-16XL technology demonstration aircraft and the prospective High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT). While the F-16XL-1 aircraft continues to gather SLFC data, work is under way on the F-16XL-2 aircraft: which will furnish attach-line design criteria, code-calibration data, and an improved understanding of the flowfield over a wing that will add confidence to the design of HSCTs' boundary layer-controlling air-suction panels.

Fischer, Michael C.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Metal- and intermetallic-matrix composites for aerospace propulsion and power systems

The requirements for high specific strength refractory materials of prospective military, civil, and space propulsion systems are presently addressed in the context of emerging capabilities in metal- and intermetallic-matrix composites. The candidate systems encompass composite matrix compositions of superalloy, Nb-Zr refractory alloy, Cu-base, and Ti-base alloy types, as well as such intermetallics as TiAl, Ti3Al, NiAl, and MoSi2. The brittleness of intermetallic matrices remains a major consideration, as does their general difficulty of fabrication.

Doychak, J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Asteroid 951 Gaspra - Pre-Galileo physical model

An effort is made to derive from Galileo's 1991 encounter of the S-type asteroid 951 Gaspra general lessons that will be applicable to prospective earth-based observations of other asteroids. Attention is accordingly given to the derivation of spin-vector and shape parameters en route to more detailed physical characterization of a given asteroid. A future encounter of Gaspra by Galileo will be required to verify the present model.

Magnusson, P.↗

NASA NTRS1991

On operator strategic behavior

Deeper and more detailed knowledge as to how human operators such as pilots respond, singly and in groups, to demands on their performance which arise from technical systems will support the manipulation of such systems' design in order to accommodate the foibles of human behavior. Efforts to understand how self-autonomy impacts strategic behavior and such related issues as error generation/recognition/correction are still in their infancy. The present treatment offers both general and aviation-specific definitions of strategic behavior as precursors of prospective investigations.

Hancock, P. A.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Computational aerodynamics - The next generation

Continued advances in the various elements that comprise the field of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are promoting a radically different approach to the aerodynamic design and analysis of aerospace vehicles and systems. The elements of CFD generally include numerical algorithm development, transition and turbulence modeling, surface modeling, and grid generation, scientific visualization and validation methodologies. This paper discusses the research progress and prospects for the future in each of these elements within NASA's CFD and Experimental Validation Program. The applicability of computational methods for the purposes of understanding complex flow phenomena, exploring aerodynamic concepts, and providing vehicle-design input is also addressed.

Hessenius, Kristin A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Percolation analysis of nonlinear structures in scale-free two-dimensional simulations

Results are presented of applying percolation analysis to several two-dimensional N-body models which simulate the formation of large-scale structure. Three parameters are estimated: total area (a(c)), total mass (M(C)), and percolation density (rho(c)) of the percolating structure at the percolation threshold for both unsmoothed and smoothed (with different scales L(s)) nonlinear with filamentary structures, confirming early speculations that this type of model has several features of filamentary-type distributions. Also, it is shown that, by properly applying smoothing techniques, many problems previously considered detrimental can be dealt with and overcome. Possible difficulties and prospects with the use of this method are discussed, specifically relating to techniques and methods already applied to CfA deep sky surveys. The success of this test in two dimensions and the potential for extrapolation to three dimensions is also discussed.

Dominik, Kurt G.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Fractal multifiber microchannel plates

The construction and performance of microchannel plates (MCPs) made using fractal tiling mehtods are reviewed. MCPs with 40 mm active areas having near-perfect channel ordering were produced. These plates demonstrated electrical performance characteristics equivalent to conventionally constructed MCPs. These apparently are the first MCPs which have a sufficiently high degree of order to permit single channel addressability. Potential applications for these devices and the prospects for further development are discussed.

Cook, Lee M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Comets - Groundbased observations of spacecraft mission candidates

Ground-based narrowband photometry results are presented for nine candidate comets for flyby and/or rendezvous missions. The comets include Churyumov-Gerasimenko, d'Arrest, Encke, Grigg-Skjellerup, Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova, Kopff, Tempel 1, Tempel 2, and Wild 2. On the basis of measured OH production rates and a model of the sublimation of water from the surface, limits are derived on the size of each cometary nucleus. A detailed analysis of the characteristics of these nine viable mission candidates can furnish the bases for the prioritization of targets of prospective missions.

Osip, David J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Molecular replication

Recent experiments demonstrating nonenzymatic replication in molecular systems are reviewed. The difficulties facing nonenzymatic replication are discussed along with specificity, fidelity, and mutation in nonenzymatic replication. The prospects for research in this area are considered.

Orgel, Leslie E.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Superresolution via sparsity constraints

The problem of recovering a measure mu supported on a lattice of span Delta is considered under the condition that measurements are only available concerning the Fourier Transform at frequencies of Omega or less. If Omega is much smaller than the Nyquist frequency pi/Delta and the measurements are noisy, then stable recovery of mu is generally impossible. It is shown here that if, in addition, it is known that mu satisfies certain sparsity constraints, then stable recovery is possible. This finding validates practical efforts in spectroscopy, seismic prospecting, and astronomy to provide superresolution by imposing support limitations in reconstruction.

Donoho, David L.↗

NASA NTRS1992

New materials drive high-performance aircraft

This report shows how advanced composite materials and new processing methods are enabling lighter, lower cost aircraft structures. High-temperature polymers research will focus on systems capable of 50,000 to 100,000 hours of operation in the 212-400 F temperature range. Prospective materials being evaluated include high-temperature epoxies, toughened bismaleimides, cyanates, thermoplastics, polyimides and other polymers.

Ruhmann, Douglas C.↗

NASA NTRS1992

An international approach to Mission to Planet Earth

The new international political constellation resulting from the disintegration of the Soviet Union opens up unique opportunities for cooperation in the space arena. Precedents since 1955 indicate a pervasive interest in mutual cooperation to use military reconnaissance and surveillance satellites for space observations to enforce treaty verification and compliance. One of the avenues that offer immediate prospects for fruitful cooperation is the incorporation of the military reconnaissance and surveillance satellite capabilities of both U.S. and Russia into the Mission to Planet Earth. Formation of a United Nations Satellite (UNSAT) fleet drawn from the American and Russian space assets is proposed. The role of UNSAT is to provide world wide monitoring of both military and enviromental activities under the umbrella of the Mission to Planet Earth.

Lawrence, Robert M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Mission operations system for Russian space Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry mission

A mission operations system developed to meet the unique requirements of the prospective Russian space VLBI mission Radioastron is described. The challenges associated with the Radioastron operations are mainly due to the interrelationship between the space-based telescope and the ground observatories, and the mission's international character. The Radioastron project includes radio observatories located in 17 different countries, tracking facilities in possibly seven different countries, orbit determination centers in Russia and USA, and widely located data processing facilities. In addition, unique scheduling constraints arise from the competing demands placed on the ground observatory time by earth-based VLBI experiments, and the tracking station time by a Japanese space interferometry mission VSOP, which is expected to be in orbit concurrently with Radioastron. A diagram illustrating the organizational structure of the Radioastron project during operations is presented.

Altunin, V. I.↗

NASA NTRS1993

High-Temperature-Superconductor Films In Microwave Circuits

Report discusses recent developments in continuing research on fabrication and characterization of thin films of high-temperature superconducting material and incorporation of such films into microwave circuits. Research motivated by prospect of exploiting superconductivity to reduce electrical losses and thereby enhancing performance of such critical microwave components as ring resonators, filters, transmission lines, phase shifters, and feed lines in phased-array antennas.

Bhasin, K. B.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Demonstration AOTF Imaging Spectrometer

Spectral images of high quality obtained. Acousto-optical-tunable-filter (AOTF) imaging spectrometer is optical system in which AOTF serves as spectrally dispersive element causing image on final focal plane to be shifted on plane by distance depending on wavelength of light emanating from scene. Useful in several applications involving identification, via characteristic spectras, of substances in observed scenes: examples include prospecting for minerals and detecting chemical pollutants.

Chao, Tien-Hsin↗