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At least 1,567 records · Page 87

A pumped two-phase cooling system for spacecraft

A pumped, two-phase heat-transport system is being developed for possible use for temperature control of scientific instruments on future NASA missions. As compared to a single-phase system, this two-phase system can maintain tighter temperature control with less pumping power. A laboratory model of the system has been built and tested. The measured heat transfer coefficients were approximately the same as in heat pipes, 220 Btu/hr-sq ft-F, as compared to 25 Btu/hr-sq ft-F for single-phase liquid flow. Heat shearing between experiments has been demonstrated wherein vapor generated in the cold plate of an active experiment was condensed in a cold, unheated experiment. System stability has been observed. However, additional development is needed. The use of non-azeotropic mixtures of coolants appears especially promising as a simple way to determine exit quality and thus control the flow rates to prevent dryout.

Ollendorf, S.↗

A radiatively pumped CW CO2 laser

A proof of principle experiment to demonstrate the physics of a radiatively pumped laser has been carried out. For the first time, a blackbody cavity has optically pumped a CW CO2 laser. Results are presented from a series of experiments using mixtures of CO2, He, and Ar in which maximum output power was obtained with a 20 percent CO2-15 percent He-65 percent Ar mixture. The dependence of the output power on the blackbody temperature and the cooling gas flow rate is also discussed. By appropriately varying these parameters, continuous output powers of 8-10 mW have been achieved.

Insuik, R. J.↗

Design, development and test of a capillary pump loop heat pipe

The development of a capillary pump loop (CPL) heat pipe, including computer modeling and breadboard testing, is presented. The computer model is a SINDA-type thermal analyzer, combined with a pressure analyzer, which predicts the transients of the CPL heat pipe during operation. The breadboard is an aluminum/ammonia transport system which contains multiple parallel evaporator and condenser zones within a single loop. Test results have demonstrated the practicality and reliability of such a design, including heat load sharing among evaporators, liquid inventory/temperature control feature, and priming under load. Transport capability for this system is 65 KW-M with individual evaporator pumps managing up to 1.7 KW at a heat flux of 15 W/sq cm. The prediction of the computer model for heat transport capabilities is in good agreement with experimental results.

Kroliczek, E. J.↗

Analytical and experimental investigation of rubbing interaction in labyrinth seals for a liquid hydrogen fuel pump

Cracking of the titanium knife edges on the labyrinth seals of the liquid hydrogen fuel pump in the Space Shuttle main engine is considered. Finite element analysis of the thermal response of the knife edge in sliding contact with the wear ring surface shows that interfacial temperatures can be quite high and they are significantly influenced by the thermal conductivity of the surfaces in rubbing contact. Thermal shock experiments on a test specimen similar to the knife edge geometry demonstrate that cracking of the titanium alloy is possible in a situation involving repeated thermal cycles over a wide temperature range, as might be realized during a rub in the liquid hydrogen fuel pump. High-speed rub interaction tests were conducted using a representative knife edge and seal geometry over a broad range of interaction rates and alternate materials were experimentally evaluated. Plasma-sprayed aluminum-graphite was found to be significantly better than presently used aluminum alloy seals from the standpoint of rub performance. Ion nitriding the titanium alloy knife-edges also improved rub performance compared to the untreated baseline.

Dolan, F. X.↗

Development of the sonic pump levitator

The process and mechanism involved in producing glass microballoons (GMBs) of acceptable quality for laser triggered inertial fusion through use of glass jet levitation and manipulation are considered. The gas jet levitation device, called sonic pumps, provides positioning by timely and appropriate application of gas mementum from one or more of six sonic pumps which are arranged orthogonally in opposed pairs about the levitation region and are activated by an electrooptical, computer controlled, feedback system. The levitation device was fabricated and its associated control systems were assembled into a package and tested in reduced gravity flight regime of the NASA KC-135 aircraft.

Dunn, S. A.↗

Diode laser 87Rb optical pumping in an evacuated wall-coated cell

The evacuated wall coated sealed cell coupled with diode laser optical pumping offers a number of attractive potential advantages for use in Rb or Cs atomic frequency standards. An investigation of systematic effects is required to explore possible limitations of the technique. The use of diode laser optical pumping of 87 Rb in an evacuated wall coated sealed cell is presented. Experimental results/discussion to be presented include the signal strength and line broadening of the 0 - 0 hyperfine resonance as a function of light intensity for the D1 optical transitions (F - F prime) - (2 1 prime) and (2 - 2 prime), shift of the 0 - 0 hyperfine frequency as a function of laser intensity and de-tuning from optical resonance, and diode laser frequency stabilization techniques.

Lee, W. K.↗

Lasing in N2O and CO2 isotope mixtures pumped by blackbody radiation

The use of N2O and CO2 isotopes as active species for a blackbody radiation pumped laser has been experimentally demonstrated and theoretically analyzed. The results obtained for mixtures containing N2O, (C-13) (O-16)2, and (C-12) (O-18)2 are presented. For the first time, continuous lasing action with blackbody radiation pumping has been obtained for this species. Two active species mixtures were tested, obtaining up to a 100 percent increase in output power due to v-v transfer. A simple model was developed and gain calculations are presented.

Sirota, J. M.↗

Operating aspects of an oil pumping ring seal

Past analyses have left several unanswered questions regarding the operation of a pumping ring seal. This paper addresses some of these unresolved problems. In particular, treatment of the film-ring interfacial boundary condition and the return portion of the pumping cycle are numerically investigated. Further a simple model is proposed to determine whether or not the seal operates fully flooded.

Smith, P. J.↗

A long-pulse amplifier for solar-pumped iodine lasers

The characteristics of a photodissociation iodine-laser amplifier pumped with a solar-simulating radiation were studied. Under long-pulse energy extraction, an energy amplification of about three and an energy storage time of longer than 500 microseconds were observed for a one meter long, 10 mm i.d. amplifier tube. The effects of elevated temperatures resulted in little reduction of the amplifier gain. These results confirm that developing an efficient chain of oscillator-amplifiers for a high-power solar-pumped iodine laser is indeed feasible.

Hwang, I. H.↗

Remotely Adjustable Hydraulic Pump

Outlet pressure adjusted to match varying loads. Electrohydraulic servo has positioned sleeve in leftmost position, adjusting outlet pressure to maximum value. Sleeve in equilibrium position, with control land covering control port. For lowest pressure setting, sleeve shifted toward right by increased pressure on sleeve shoulder from servovalve. Pump used in aircraft and robots, where hydraulic actuators repeatedly turned on and off, changing pump load frequently and over wide range.

Kouns, H. H.↗

Observation of atmospheric ozone by dial with Raman lasers pumped by a KrF laser

Since the XeCl excimer laser (308 nm) was first used in Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) for stratospheric ozone detection, the XeCl ozone lidar became a useful tool for the monitoring of the stratospheric ozone concentration. Shorter wavelength lasers are needed for the observation of ozone in the troposphere where the ozone concentration is about one order of magnitude smaller than in the stratosphere. In 1983, tropospheric ozone was observed with the combination of the second Stokes line (290.4 nm) of stimulated Raman scattering from methane pumped by a KrF laser and the XeCl laser line. The measurement of the ozone distribution from ground to 30 km was reported, using three Stokes lines of Raman lasers pumped by a KrF laser. At wavelengths shorter than 295 nm, the background solar radiation is effectively suppressed by atmospheric ozone. Such a solar-blind effect can be expected when two wavelengths 277 and 290.4 nm are used for DIAL ozone detection. A preliminary measurement of the day time ozone distribution in the troposphere is presented using these wavelengths generated by a KrF laser with a Raman shifter. Analysis using the lidar equation predicts the maximum detectable range is 7 km.

Maeda, M.↗

Pumped two-phase heat transfer loop

A pumped loop two-phase heat transfer system, operating at a nearly constant temperature throughout, includes a plurality of independently operating grooved capillary heat exchanger plates supplied with working fluid through independent flow modulation valves connected to a liquid supply line, a vapor line for collecting vapor from the heat exchangers, a condenser between the vapor and the liquid lines, and a fluid circulating pump between the condenser and the heat exchangers.

Edelstein, Fred↗

Low-threshold solar-pumped laser using C2F5I

Solar-pumped lasing was achieved with pentafluoroethyl iodide, C2F5I, a new alkyl-iodide. Output power and energy of 350 mW and 45 mJ were achieved. This lasant was found to have the lowest lasing threshold of any solar-pumped gas laser to date at approximately 100 solar constants. Such low threshold enables the use in space of simple, trough solar collectors.

De Young, R. J.↗

Two-step excitation and blue fluorescence under continuous-wave pumping in Nd:YLF

Near-UV and blue fluorescence from the 4D3/2 and 4D5/2 manifolds in Nd:YLF has been observed at room temperature under CW pumping by a rhodamine 590 dye laser. Excitation to these manifolds is attributed to two-step excitation involving excited-state absorption from the 4F3/2 metastable level. A similar phenomenon has also been observed in Nd:YAG and Nd:glass. The effective excited-state absorption cross section is measured to be (2 + or - 1) x 10 to the -20th sq cm at 587.4 nm in the pi polarization, and the peak effective stimulated emission cross section is measured to be 5 x 10 to the -20th sq cm at 411.7 nm, also in the pi polarization. Estimated laser threshold at 411.7 nm for two-step pumping at 587.4 nm is 70 mW.

Fan, T. Y.↗

Diode-pumped continuous-wave Nd:glass laser

The paper reports on diode-laser pumping of monolithic Nd:glass laser oscillators. End pumping with a single-stripe diode laser, a threshold of 2.2 mW, and a slope efficiency of 42 percent were observed on a 2-mm-long oscillator with a mode radius of 35 microns. The oscillator generated 2.5 mW of single-ended output power in many axial modes.

Kozlovsky, W. J.↗

Pumping the stellar hydroxyl maser

IRAS far-IR flux data for 163 OH maser stars were analyzed to quantify the contributions 35 and 53 microns inversions make to pumping of the hydroxyl maser. The 35 microns transition is from the 3,3 ground state to the 1,5 rotationally excited level and subsequent decay; the 53 microns transition is a change from the ground state to the 1,3 excited level and relaxation. The stars examined included Mira, short period semi-regular and long-period semi-regular variables. Both transition lines had rough parity in contributing to the approximately 8 percent pumping efficiency at 1612 MHz. However, the individual contributions of the lines could not be determined for the stellar population studied.

Dickinson, Dale F.↗

Design and test of a mechanically pumped two-phase thermal control flight experiment

A flight experiment of a mechanically pumped two-phase ammonia thermal control system, incorporating a number of new component designs, has been assembled and tested in a 1-g environment. Additional microgravity tests are planned on the Space Shuttle when Shuttle flights are resumed. The primary purpose of this experiment is to evaluate the operation of a mechanically pumped two-phase ammonia system, with emphasis on determining the performance of an evaporative Two-Phase Mounting Plate. The experiment also evaluates the performance of other specially designed components, such as the two-phase reservoir for temperature control, condensing radiator/heat sink, spiral tube boiler, and pressure drop experiment. The 1-g tests have shown that start-up of the two-phase experiment is easily accomplished with only a partial fill of ammonia. The experiment maintained a constant mounting plate temperature without flow rate controls over a very wide range of heat loads, flow rates, inlet flow conditions and exit qualities. The tests also showed the successful operation of the mounting plate in the heat sharing condensing mode.

Grote, M. G.↗