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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

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1977

Tripropellant engine study

Work conducted was devoted to three main tasks. Thermochemical equilibrium performance data were assembled to establish the expected performance calculations of the mode 1 engine propellant combinations and thermodynamic and transport data for the products of combustion. Turbine drive gas characteristics were also established. Thrust chamber and nozzle cooling studies were devoted to the evaluation of H2, C3H8, CH4, and RP-1 as coolants in the existing SSME cooling circuit geometry. It was found that all these candidate coolants are feasible without limiting the desired operating conditions with the exception of RP-1, which would limit the maximum P(c) to 2000 psia. RP-1 could be used, however, to cool the nozzle only without imposing the chamber pressure limit. A total of 15 candidate engine system cycles were selected and a preliminary engine system balance was conducted for 12 of these systems to establish component operating flowrates, pressures and temperatures. It was found that the staged combustion cycles employing fuel rich LOX/hydrocarbon turbine drive gases are power limited.

Wheeler, D. B.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Motion restraining device

A motion-restraining device for dissipating at a controlled rate the force of a moving body is discussed. The device is characterized by a drive shaft adapted to be driven in rotation by a moving body connected to a tape wound about a reel mounted on the drive shaft, and an elongated pitman link having one end pivotally connected to the crankshaft and the opposite end thereof connected with the mass through an energy dissipating linkage. A shuttle is disposed within a slot and guided by rectilinear motion between a pair of spaced impact surfaces. Reaction forces applied at impact of the shuttle with the impact surfaces include oppositely projected force components angularly related to the direction of the applied impact forces.

Ford, A. G.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Test and analysis of a Northrup collector controller

The collector controller was examined as a functioning control system that drives the Northrup collector from east to west to follow the sun then back to the east at sundown in readiness for the next sunrise. The major components were examined separately with particular emphasis placed on an analysis of the electronic drive circuit. Results are presented from hardware testing and analysis with recommended changes to improve the system.

Scott, D. R.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Baseline tests of the power-train electric delivery van

Vehicle maximum speed, range at constant speed, range over stop-and-go driving schedules, maximum acceleration, gradeability, gradeability limit, road energy consumption, road power, indicated energy consumption, braking capability, battery charger efficiency, and battery characteristics were determined for a modified utility van powered by sixteen 6-volt batteries connected in series. A chopper controller actuated by a foot accelerator pedal changes the voltage applied to the 22-kilowatt (30-hp) series-wound drive motor. In addition to the conventional hydraulic braking system, the vehicle has hydraulic regenerative braking. Cycle tests and acceleration tests were conducted with and without hydraulic regeneration.

Lumannick, S.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Jerky loads on surface-hardened gears

Damage occurs again and again in practice in the form of transmissions with surface hardened gears which break after a very long operating time (explained by seldom occurring jerky loads). Gear drives are frequently exposed to jerky stresses which are greater than their fatigue limit. These stresses are considered in gear calculations, first, by shock factors when the transmission is to be designed as high endurance with regard to overloads and, second, in the form of operating ratios when the design is to be time enduring with regard to overloads. The size of the operating ratio depends not only on torque characteristics, drive and processing machine, but also on the material and heat treatment.

Rettig, H.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Some alternative dynamic design configurations for large horizontal axis WECS

The present U.S. development effort toward large horizontal axis WECS concentrates on the configuration with two rigid blades with collective pitch variation and a yaw gear drive. Alternative configurations without yaw gear drive were considered where the rotor is either selfcentering or where the yaw angle is controlled by blade cyclic pitch inputs. A preliminary evaluation of the dynamic characteristics for these alternative design configurations is presented.

Hohenemser, K. H.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Investigation of high voltage spacecraft system interactions with plasma environments

An experimental investigation was undertaken for insulator and conductor test surfaces biased up to + or - 1kV in a simulated low earth orbit charged particle environment. It was found that these interactions are controlled by the insulator surfaces surrounding the biased conductors. For positive applied voltages the electron current collection can be enhanced by the insulators. For negative applied voltages the insulator surface confines the voltage to the conductor region. Understanding these interactions and the technology to control their impact on system operation is essential to the design of solar cell arrays for ion drive propulsion applications that use direct drive power processing.

Stevens, N. J.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Control for nuclear thermionic power source

A control for a power source which includes nuclear fuel interspersed with thermionic converters, is described. A power regulator maintains a substantially constant output voltage to a variable load, and a control circuit drives a neutron flux regulator in accordance with the current supplied to the power regulator and the neutron flux density in the region of the converters. The control circuit generates a control signal which is the difference between the neutron flux density and a linear function of the current, and drives the neutron regulator in a direction to decrease or increase the neutron flux according to the polarity of the control signal.

Sawyer, C. D.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Energy efficient engine: Preliminary design and integration studies

Parametric design and mission evaluations of advanced turbofan configurations were conducted for future transport aircraft application. Economics, environmental suitability and fuel efficiency were investigated and compared with goals set by NASA. Of the candidate engines which included mixed- and separate-flow, direct-drive and geared configurations, an advanced mixed-flow direct-drive configuration was selected for further design and evaluation. All goals were judged to have been met except the acoustic goal. Also conducted was a performance risk analysis and a preliminary aerodynamic design of the 10 stage 23:1 pressure ratio compressor used in the study engines.

Johnston, R. P.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Wide power range microwave feedback controller

A substantially constant power level is derived over a predetermined frequency band, in each of a plurality of relatively widely spaced power ranges, from a microwave load having a predetermined amplitude versus frequency response, such as an antenna. A microwave source of substantially constant amplitude drives a forward path connected between the source and the load. A feedback path responsive to the microwave power level in the forward path derives a control voltage for the PIN attenuator. The equalizer attenuator drives a linear, crystal amplitude detector. Attenuating means included in the forward and feedback paths are selectively connected in circuit to maintain the power level of the microwave input to the amplitude detector substantially constant, even though different power ranges are supplied to the load by the forward path.

Titus, L. E.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Ocean thermal plant

A floating energy converter is described which uses large volumes of sea water to produce electrical power. In this plant, a fluid working medium is pumped to an evaporator where is is heated by a flow of warm surface sea water. The fluid in liquid form boils to a pressurized gas vapor which is routed to drive a turbine that, in turn, drives a generator for producing electricity. The gas vapor then enters a condenser immersed in cold sea water pumped from lower depths, condenses to its original liquid form, and then pumped to the evaporator to repeat the cycle. Modular components can be readily interchanged on the ocean thermal unit and inlet pipes for the sea water are provided with means for maintaining the pipes in alignment with the oncoming current. The modular construction allows for the testing of various components to provide a more rapid optimization of a standardized plant.

Owens, L. J.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Thermal characteristics of the 12-gigahertz, 200-watt output stage tube for the communications technology satellite

A description of the methods used to measure component temperatures and heat-rejection rates in a simulated space environment on output stage tubes (OST's) developed for the Communications Technology Satellite is presented along with summaries of experimentally determined values. The OST's were operated over the entire anticipated operating drive range, from the dc beam (zero drive) condition to the 6-db overdrive condition. The baseplate temperature was varied from -10 to 58 C with emphasis placed on the testing done at 45 C, the normal anticipated operating temperature. The heat-rejection rate of the OST baseplate ranged from 7.6 W at the dc beam condition to 184.5 W at the 6-db overdrive condition; the heat-rejection rate of the multistage depressed collector (MDC) cover ranged from 192.2 to 155.9 W for the same conditions. The maximum OST temperature measured on the MDC cover was 227 C during a dc beam test. The minimum temperature measured, also on the MDC cover, was -67.5 C at the end of an extended simulated eclipse test period. No effects were observed on the OST thermal characteristics due to vibration testing or temperature-reversal cycle testing.

Curren, A. N.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Measurements of reactive gaseous rocket injector response factors

The results presented represent the first successful attempt at the measurement of the driving capabilities of coaxial gaseous propellant rocket injectors. The required data have been obtained by employing the modified impedance tube technique with compressed air as the oxidizer and acetylene gas as the fuel. The data describe the frequency dependence of the injector admittances, from which the frequency dependence of the injection response factors can be calculated. The measured injector admittances have been compared with the predictions of the Feiler and Heidmann (1967) analytical model assuming different values for the characteristic combustion time. The values of combustion time which result in a best fit between the measured and predicted data are indicated for different equivalence ratios. It is shown that for the coaxial injector system investigated in this study the characteristic combustion times vary between .7 and 1.2 msec for equivalence ratios in the range of .57 to 1.31. The experimental data clearly show that the tested injector system could indeed drive combustion instabilities over a frequency range that is in qualitative agreement with the predictions of the Feiler and Heidmann model.

Janardan, B. A.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Radiative shock dynamics. II - Hydrogen continua

The interaction between radiation and a shock wave propagating through a stellar atmosphere is investigated. Departures from local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) are permitted in the first two levels of a 10-level hydrogen atom; levels 3-10 are in LTE. A piston moving at constant velocity into the bottom of the atmosphere drives a shock wave. This shock produces precursor radiation that diffuses through the gas well ahead of the shock and causes a mild luminosity flash in the emergent Balmer and free-free radiation when it reaches the surface. The precursor wave deposits a large amount of radiative energy in the outer layers of the atmosphere, initiating a radiation-induced pressure wave. The process of energy transfer from the radiation field to the compression wave is similar to the Eddington valve mechanism which drives stellar pulsations. Material is accelerated outward by the radiation-induced wave; eventually it free-falls inward, hits the quasistationary atmosphere, and forms an accretion shock. The piston driven shock is weakened by radiative energy losses. When it reaches the surface, the shock is invisible in the continuum radiation.

Klein, R. I.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Investigation of high voltage spacecraft system interactions with plasma environments

The exposure of high voltage spacecraft systems to the charged particle environment of space can produce interactions that will influence system operation. An experimental investigation of these interactions has been undertaken for insulator and conductor test surfaces biased up to plus or minus 1 kV in a simulated low earth orbit charged particle environment. It has been found that these interactions are controlled by the insulator surfaces surrounding the biased conductors. For positive applied voltages the electron current collection can be enhanced by the insulators. For negative applied voltages the insulator surface confines the voltage to the conductor region; this can cause arcing. Understanding these interactions and the technology to control their impact on system operation is essential to the design of solar cell arrays for ion drive propulsion applications that use direct drive power processing.

Stevens, N. J.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Measurement of the time-temperature dependent dynamic mechanical properties of boron/aluminum composites

A relatively simple flexural vibration test is developed for accurate measurement of the low-strain dynamic modulus and damping capacity of B/Al composite bar specimens from -200 C to over 500 C. The specimens are prepared from 8-ply unidirectional panels containing 50 volume percent fibers composed of 203-micron commercial boron-on-tungsten fibers. The basic test technique consists of the forced flexural vibration of the composite bar specimens at their two lowest free-free symmetrical resonant modes in a high-vacuum cryostat furnace. Specimen damping is determined from oscilloscope photographs of the free decay obtained after simultaneously removing the resonant drive signal and grounding the vibration-drive electrode. The availability of time-temperature dynamic data coupled with the predictive accuracy of composite theory suggests a future potential for using such data in examining environmental effects on composite macrostructure and microstructure.

Dicarlo, J. A.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Remanent magnetization stratigraphy of lunar cores

Depth dependent fluctuations have been observed in the natural remanent magnetizations (NRM) of drive cores and drill strings from Apollo 16 and 17 missions. Partial demagnetization of unstable secondary magnetizations and identification of characteristic error signals from a core which is known to have been recently disturbed allow us to identify and isolate the stable NRM stratigraphy in double drive core 60010/60009 and drill strings 60002-60004. The observed magnetization fluctuations persist after normalization to take into account depth dependent variations in the carriers of stable NRM. We tentatively ascribe the stable NRM stratigraphy to instantaneous records of past magnetic fields at the lunar surface and suggest that the stable NRM stratigraphy technique could develop as a new relative time-stratigraphic tool, to be used with other physical measurements such as relative intensity of ferromagnetic resonance and charged particle track density to study the evolution of the lunar regolith.

Banerjee, S. K.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Angular-displacement mechanism

Redundant-motor drive system, utilizing two electric motors, generates angular displacement to rotate mechanical or optical components in limited arc. Either motor can drive system while other remains stationary. Since stationary motor is not back-driven, system energy requirement is effectively reduced.

Calvert, J. A.↗