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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 1,603 records · Page 89
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

A summary of laboratory testing performed to characterize and select an elastomeric O-ring material to be used in the redesigned solid rocket motors of the space transportation system

An elastomeric O-ring material is used in the joints of the redesigned solid motors (RSRM's) of the National Space Transportation System (NSTS). The selection of the O-ring material used in the RSRM's was a very thorough process that included efforts by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the Langley Research Center, and the Thiokol Corporation. One of the efforts performed at MSFC was an extensive in-house laboratory test regime to screen potential O-ring materials and ultimately to characterize the elastomeric material that was chosen to be used in the RSRM's. The laboratory tests performed at MSFC are summarized.

Turner, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Experimenter's laboratory for visualized interactive science

The science activities of the 1990's will require the analysis of complex phenomena and large diverse sets of data. In order to meet these needs, we must take advantage of advanced user interaction techniques: modern user interface tools; visualization capabilities; affordable, high performance graphics workstations; and interoperable data standards and translator. To meet these needs, we propose to adopt and upgrade several existing tools and systems to create an experimenter's laboratory for visualized interactive science. Intuitive human-computer interaction techniques have already been developed and demonstrated at the University of Colorado. A Transportable Applications Executive (TAE+), developed at GSFC, is a powerful user interface tool for general purpose applications. A 3D visualization package developed by NCAR provides both color shaded surface displays and volumetric rendering in either index or true color. The Network Common Data Form (NetCDF) data access library developed by Unidata supports creation, access and sharing of scientific data in a form that is self-describing and network transparent. The combination and enhancement of these packages constitutes a powerful experimenter's laboratory capable of meeting key science needs of the 1990's. This proposal encompasses the work required to build and demonstrate this capability.

Hansen, Elaine R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Space Science Laboratory Publications and Presentations

This document lists the significant publications and presentations of the Space Science Laboratory during the period January 1 - December 31, 1992. Entries in the main part of the document are categorized according to NASA Reports (arranged by report number), Open Literature, and Presentations (arranged alphabetically by title). Also included for completeness is an Appendix (arranged by report number) listing preprints issued by the Laboratory during this reporting period. Some of the preprints have not been published; those already published are so indicated. Most of the articles listed under Open Literature have appeared in refereed professional journals, books, monographs, or conference proceedings. Although many published abstracts are eventually expanded into full papers for publications in scientific and technical journals, they are often sufficiently comprehensive to include the significant results of the research reported. Therefore, published abstracts are listed separately in a subsection under Open Literature. The organizational code of the cognizant SSL branch or office is given at the end of each entry.

Moorehead, T. W.↗
NASA NTRS1992

National Media Laboratory

A review of the National Media Laboratory (NML) is presented. The mission of the NML is to support current government user data storage needs and assist them in getting the most efficient 'commercial' solutions in the future. The motivation for a National Media Laboratory is as follows: recording systems are the major government image and data exploitation bottleneck; government data recording performance and storage requirements lead commercial practice by 3-5 years; the supporting commercial recorder industry is large but principally focused on video not data formats; lack of standards; and lack of transfer of commercial knowledge base to program offices and operational sites.

Clark, Robert↗
NASA NTRS1992

Far-sidelobe contamination of the Bell Laboratories H I survey

This paper describes an approximate calculation of the far-sidelobe contamination present in the Bell Laboratories H I survey. The general method is to determine the position of the sidelobe, and to assume that the emission measured at the position of the sidelobe is free of contamination. We have analyzed the errors introduced by saturation in the main beam and found them to be insignificant. The far-sidelobe contamination is shown to be less than 2 x 10 exp 16/sq cm/per km/s over most of the entire sky. The low level of far-sidelobe contamination suggests that such contamination does not affect results from studies of H I 21-cm radiation at high latitudes during the Bell Laboratories Survey. In particular, the low-column-density features of high-velocity and intermediate-velocity clouds can be deemed real.

Kuntz, K. D.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Radio observations of the planets - The importance of laboratory measurements

Laboratory data on the line broadening parameters of H2S gas under Uranian/Neptunian conditions, on the far wings of the H2S and NH3 line profiles, and on the dielectric properties of CH4-, NH3-, H2S-, and NH4SH-ice are needed to constrain elemental abundances and understand the dynamics and cloud physics in the atmospheres of the giant planets. Measurements of the absorption coefficient of gaseous H2SO4 at millimeter wavelengths are needed in order to obtain a better understanding of Venus' atmosphere. To determine wind velocity fields in Venus' and Mars' atmospheres, accurate measurements of the center frequencies of the CO lines are necessary. The absorption and scattering properties of lunar soils and/or terrestrial rock powders at frequencies from approximately 1 to 200 GHz, determined in laboratory experiments, would provide a valuable addition to existing data at 450 MHz, 35 GHz, and far infrared frequencies. These data would be used to analyze the microwave spectra of planetary surfaces. Such studies may be helpful in distinguishing the effects of radiative transfer from those of nonlinear heat conduction and internal heat sources.

De Pater, Imke↗
NASA NTRS1993

New laboratory measurements on ammonia's inversion spectrum, with implications for planetary atmospheres

Microwave spectral measurements have been performed on pure room-temperature gaseous ammonia at frequencies from 1.75 to 18 GHz (1.7-17 cm), at 50-, 100-, and 300-torr pressures. These measurements are part of a laboratory program to measure the microwave absorption spectrum of ammonia, under conditions applicable to giant planet atmospheres, now in progress at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The pure ammonia data reported here agree well with previous data by Bleaney and Loubser (1950) at 100 and 300 torrs, and with predictions of the absorptivity formalism published by Berge and Gulkis. Success with pure ammonia but failure with mixtures of ammonia in hydrogen and helium (Spilker, 1990) indicates that the Berge and Gulkis formalism does not correctly handle foreign-gas effects on ammonia inversion lines. This may require modifying conclusions of radio astronomical and radio occultation studies that used this formalism. Notably, a suggested depletion of ammonia and superabundance of hydrogen sulfide may have been exaggerated as a result of inaccuracies in the Berge and Gulkis formalism.

Spilker, Thomas R.↗
NASA NTRS1954

Axial-Load Fatigue Properties of 24S-T and 75S-T Aluminum Alloy as Determined in Several Laboratories

In the initial phase of a NACA program on fatigue research, axial-load tests on 24S-T3 and 75S-T6 aluminum-alloy sheet have been made at the Battelle Memorial Institute and at the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The test specimens were polished and unnotched. The manufacturer of the material, the Aluminum Company of America, has made axial-load tests on 24S-T4 and 75S-T6 rod material. The test techniques used at the three laboratories are described in detail; the test results are presented and are compared with each other and with results obtained on unpolished sheet by the National Bureau of Standards. (author)

Grover, H J↗
NASA NTRS1926

Description and Laboratory Tests of a Roots Type Aircraft Engine Supercharger

This report describes a roots type aircraft engine supercharger and presents the results of some tests made with it at the Langley Field Laboratories of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The supercharger used in these tests was constructed largely of aluminum, weighed 88 pounds and was arranged to be operated from the rear of a standard aircraft engine at a speed of 1 1/2 engine crankshaft speed. The rotors of the supercharger were cycloidal in form and were 11 inches long and 9 1/2 inches in diameter. The displacement of the supercharger was 0.51 cubic feet of air per revolution of the rotors. The supercharger was tested in the laboratory, independently and in combination with a Liberty-12 aircraft engine, under simulated altitude pressure conditions in order to obtain information on its operation and performance. From these tests it seems evident that the Roots blower compares favorably with other compressor types used as aircraft engine superchargers and that it has several features that make it particularly attractive for such use.

Ware, Marsden↗
NASA NTRS1952

Comparison of High-Speed Operating Characteristics of Size 215 Cylindrical-Roller Bearings as Determined in Turbojet Engine and in Laboratory Test Rig

A comparison of the operating characteristics of 75-millimeter-bore (size 215) cylindrical-roller one-piece inner-race-riding cage-type bearings was made by means of a laboratory test rig and a turbojet engine. Cooling correlation parameters were determined by means of dimensional analysis, and the generalized results for both the inner- and the outer-race bearing operating temperatures are computed for the laboratory test rig and the turbojet engine. A method is given that enables the designer to predict the inner- and outer-race turbine roller-bearing temperatures from single curves, regardless of variations in speed, load, oil flow, oil inlet temperature, oil inlet viscosity, oil-jet diameter, or any combination of these parameters.

Macks, E Fred↗
NASA NTRS1993

Feasibility study of an orbiting laboratory for testing CSI technology

A concept for an orbiting laboratory for testing Controls-Structures Integration (CSI) technology is described. The CSI-Star concept reflects a lower cost, higher risk approach. The concept supports demonstration and validation testing for critical CSI technologies at a cost of $20M to $26M with a 1-year reliability of approximately 0.9. The Ball Aerospace QuickStar bus is the carrier for the CSI test article. QuickStar is launched as a secondary payload on the McDonnell Douglas Delta 2. The QuickStar/Delta 2 approach is flight proven. The CSI test article is a 20 foot, 1 Hz, truss beam which is deployed from the QuickStar bus. The test article is well instrumented for quality system identification. The laboratory provides three layers of active control consisting of global vibration suppression along the truss beam, vibration isolation between the beam and instrument platforms, and vibration compensation through the use of gimbaled platforms which point lasers relative to optical sensor targets. The configuration simulates the dynamics of multi-instrument science platforms such as those of the Earth Observation System (EOS) while maintaining strong ties to astrophysics missions such as the Optical Interferometer. Uplink/downlink services and a reprogrammable computer provide flexibility for long-term investigations by members of the CSI community (NASA, DoD, academia, and industry). CSI-Star fills the gap between short-term experiments, which have been conducted primarily on the Shuttle, and future science missions which require the technology. The on-orbit maturity of CSI technology must be established to obtain acceptance by project managers and to promote injection of the technology into future science missions.

Bicos, Andrew S.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Evolution of catalytic RNA in the laboratory

We are interested in the biochemistry of existing RNA enzymes and in the development of RNA enzymes with novel catalytic function. The focal point of our research program has been the design and operation of a laboratory system for the controlled evolution of catalytic RNA. This system serves as working model of RNA-based life and can be used to explore the catalytic potential of RNA. Evolution requires the integration of three chemical processes: amplification, mutation, and selection. Amplification results in additional copies of the genetic material. Mutation operates at the level of genotype to introduce variability, this variability in turn being expressed as a range of phenotypes. Selection operates at the level of phenotype to reduce variability by excluding those individuals that do not conform to the prevailing fitness criteria. These three processes must be linked so that only the selected individuals are amplified, subject to mutational error, to produce a progeny distribution of mutant individuals. We devised techniques for the amplification, mutation, and selection of catalytic RNA, all of which can be performed rapidly in vitro within a single reaction vessel. We integrated these techniques in such a way that they can be performed iteratively and routinely. This allowed us to conduct evolution experiments in response to artificially-imposed selection constraints. Our objective was to develop novel RNA enzymes by altering the selection constraints in a controlled manner. In this way we were able to expand the catalytic repertoire of RNA. Our long-range objective is to develop an RNA enzyme with RNA replicase activity. If such an enzyme had the ability to produce additional copies of itself, then RNA evolution would operate autonomously and the origin of life will have been realized in the laboratory.

Joyce, Gerald F.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Transient dynamics capability at Sandia National Laboratories

A brief overview of the transient dynamics capabilities at Sandia National Laboratories, with an emphasis on recent new developments and current research is presented. In addition, the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) Engineering Analysis Code Access System (SEACAS), which is a collection of structural and thermal codes and utilities used by analysts at SNL, is described. The SEACAS system includes pre- and post-processing codes, analysis codes, database translation codes, support libraries, Unix shell scripts for execution, and an installation system. SEACAS is used at SNL on a daily basis as a production, research, and development system for the engineering analysts and code developers. Over the past year, approximately 190 days of CPU time were used by SEACAS codes on jobs running from a few seconds up to two and one-half days of CPU time. SEACAS is running on several different systems at SNL including Cray Unicos, Hewlett Packard PH-UX, Digital Equipment Ultrix, and Sun SunOS. An overview of SEACAS, including a short description of the codes in the system, are presented. Abstracts and references for the codes are listed at the end of the report.

Attaway, Steven W.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Laboratory studies of low temperature rate coefficients: The atmospheric chemistry of the outer planets

The objectives are to measure laboratory rate coefficients for key reactions of hydrocarbon molecules and radicals at low temperatures, which are relevant to the atmospheric photochemistry of Saturn, Jupiter, and Titan. Upcoming NASA planetary missions, such as Cassini, will probe the atmosphere of Titan in more detail, offering an excellent opportunity to test kinetic models and to establish fiducial standards for using kinetic models to interpret various parameters of the outer planets. Accurate low temperature kinetic data, which are presently lacking, may require crucial revisions to the rates of formation and destruction and are of utmost importance to the success of these efforts. In this program, several key reactions of ethynyl radicals (C2H) with acetylene (C2H2), methane (CH4), and oxygen (O2), down to temperatures of 170 K were successfully investigated. The experimental apparatus developed in our laboratory for measuring reaction kinetics at low temperatures consists of a laser photolysis/infrared probe laser setup. The rate measurements are carried out as a function of (low) temperature with a transverse flow cell designed specifically for these studies. A 193 nm argon fluoride pulsed excimer laser is used to photolyze a suitable precursor molecule, such as acetylene to produce C2H, and a high resolution, tunable infrared F-center laser (2.3-3.35 mu m) probes the transient concentrations of the radical species directly in absorption to extract the kinetic rate coefficients.

Leone, Stephen R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A laboratory system for the investigation of rain fade compensation techniques for Ka-band satellites

The design and performance of a rain fade simulation/counteraction system on a laboratory simulated 30/20 GHz, time division multiple access (TDMA) satellite communications testbed is evaluated. Severe rain attenuation of electromagnetic radiation at 30/20 GHz occurs due to the carrier wavelength approaching the water droplet size. Rain in the downlink path lowers the signal power present at the receiver, resulting in a higher number of bit errors induced in the digital ground terminal. The laboratory simulation performed at NASA Lewis Research Center uses a programmable PIN diode attenuator to simulate 20 GHz satellite downlink geographic rain fade profiles. A computer based network control system monitors the downlink power and informs the network of any power threshold violations, which then prompts the network to issue commands that temporarily increase the gain of the satellite based traveling wave tube (TWT) amplifier. After the rain subsides, the network returns the TWT to the normal energy conserving power mode. Bit error rate (BER) data taken at the receiving ground terminal serves as a measure of the severity of rain degradation, and also evaluates the extent to which the network can improve the faded channel.

Svoboda, James S.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Manned Space-laboratories Control Center (MSCC) operations concept

The initiation of the (German-) nationally funded control center for manned spaceflight operations triggered by the invitation of President Reagan to ESA, Japan, and Canada in 1984 to join the International Space Station Freedom Program is recalled. The requirements for a Manned Space-Laboratories Control Center (MSCC) as defined at the beginning of the planning and construction process in 1987 and the resulting modifications during the various programmatic scenario changes on NASA and ESA side between 1987 and now are presented. The validity of the original requirements with respect to the current scenario, which asks for a logical evolution from the execution of the D-2 mission in January 1993 via the European Columbus Precursor flights (in particular the E-1 mission) towards Columbus Attached Laboratory (APM)-operations by the end of this century are discussed. The resulting tasks of the MSCC for the various missions, the current configuration, and the ensuing operations concept leading from a more centralized concept for D-2 towards a decentralized payload operations concept for the APM and the implications with respect to European and International interfaces are presented. The planned Columbus MSCC facility architecture and its expected modifications introduced by the ESA Ministerial Conference in Munich (Nov. 1991) and follow-on discussions are briefly addressed. The last chapter outlines the planned services to be provided by the MSCC to the decentralized User (experimenter) community. Issues like decentralized mission planning on executional level, command validation, data flow coordination, archiving services, and telescience capabilities are highlighted from a MSCC point of view.

Kehr, Joachim↗
NASA NTRS1993

Demonstration of the feasibility of an integrated x ray laboratory for planetary exploration

The identification of minerals and elemental compositions is an important component in the geological and exobiological exploration of the solar system. X ray diffraction and fluorescence are common techniques for obtaining these data. The feasibility of combining these analytical techniques in an integrated x ray laboratory compatible with the volume, mass, and power constraints imposed by many planetary missions was demonstrated. Breadboard level hardware was developed to cover the range of diffraction lines produced by minerals, clays, and amorphous; and to detect the x ray fluorescence emissions of elements from carbon through uranium. These breadboard modules were fabricated and used to demonstrate the ability to detect elements and minerals. Additional effort is required to establish the detection limits of the breadboard modules and to integrate diffraction and fluorescence techniques into a single unit. It was concluded that this integrated x ray laboratory capability will be a valuable tool in the geological and exobiological exploration of the solar system.

Franco, E. D.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Precision and manufacturing at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Precision Engineering is one of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's core strengths. This paper discusses the past and present current technology transfer efforts of LLNL's Precision Engineering program and the Livermore Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Productivity (LCAMP). More than a year ago the Precision Machine Commercialization project embodied several successful methods of transferring high technology from the National Laboratories to industry. Currently, LCAMP has already demonstrated successful technology transfer and is involved in a broad spectrum of current programs. In addition, this paper discusses other technologies ripe for future transition including the Large Optics Diamond Turning Machine.

Saito, Theodore T.↗