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At least 163 records · Page 9

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NASA NTRS1973

Simultaneous Q-switching and mode-locking in the CW Nd:YAG laser

The theory of transient mode-locking for an active modulator in a laser with a homogeneously broadened line is presented. The theory is applied to simultaneously Q-switched and mode-locked Nd:YAG lasers and good agreement between theory and experiment is obtained. The main conclusion is that under usual Q-switched operating conditions the mode-locking process does not have sufficient time to build up to steady-state conditions. We also present a method to overcome this problem by allowing the laser to prelase before the Q-switch is opened. Mode-locked pulses whose width approaches the steady-state value are obtained. The transient mode-locking theory presented here also applies to actively mode-locking TEA CO2 lasers and to other types of simultaneously pulsed and mode-locked lasers.

Kuizenga, D. J.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster erosion research

Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster (MPdT) lifetime at sustained multimagawatt power levels is unknown but will be governed by plasma erosion of thruster surfaces. Before the thruster can be developed for an orbital propulsion application the physics of the erosion mechanisms must be studied. The following key questions that must be resolved to understand erosion are addressed: (1) what are the erosion mechanisms on the anode, cathode, and insulator and what are the quantitative rates for each; (2) what governs the cathode heat balance at high current density and magawatt power levels; (3) what governs the anode heat balance; and (4) how does the cathode work function change with time, and what effect does this have on erosion. The approach aims at developing an understanding of the erosion of the electrode and insulator surfaces by conducting experiments on a steady-state, scaled-down MPD device, and by analysis of key processes.

King, D. Q.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Planetary volatile history - Principles and practice

The history and evolution of planetary volatile inventories are considered. Planetary bulk volatile inventories are greatly affected by the distance from the preplanetary nebula center at which material accreted, with volatile contents increasing with increasing distance from the nebula center. Other significant factors include: planetary energetics and internal thermal history, planetary volatile sinks (including space), and operation of external variables such as solar energy on the transient, steady-state array of surface volatiles. The net result of all these processes is a volatile history that is itself a controlling factor in overall planetary history.

Fanale, F. P.↗

NASA NTRS1987

A theoretical evaluation of laser-sustained plasma thruster performance

An extensive numerical experiment has been conducted to evaluate rocket thruster performance using a laser-sustained hydrogen plasma as the propellant. The plasma was sustained using a 30 kW CO2 laser beam operated at 10.6 microns focused inside the thruster. The steady-state Navier-Stokes equations coupled with the laser power absorption process have been solved numerically. A pressure based Navier-Stokes solver using body-fitted coordinate was used to calculate the laser-supported rocket flow which included both recirculating and transonic flow regions. The local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) assumption was used for the plasma thermophysical and optical properties. Geometric ray tracing was adopted to describe the laser beam. Several different throat size thrusters operated at 150 and 300 kPa chamber stagnation pressure were studied. It was found that the thruster performance (vacuum specific impulse) was highly dependent on the operating conditions, and a properly designed laser supported thruster can attain a specific impulse around 1500 secs. The heat loading on the thruster wall was also estimated and was in the range of that for a conventional chemical rocket.

Jeng, San-Mou↗

NASA NTRS1991

A geometrical model for shepherding

Shepherding is the process by which a satellite secularly exchanges angular momentum with a nearby particle or gaseous disk. The sense of the torque is such that the separation between the orbits of the particles and the shepherd increases secularly with time. I devised a new technique to analyze the physical nature of shepherding through study of evolution of the vector eccentricity of the particles. This method appears to analyze the physical nature of shepherding in sparse particle disks. Thus, it may be very useful in calculating the torque on Neptune's rings and on protoplanets in the solar nebula. Moreover, the techniques are useful in estimating how long numerical simulations of resonant processes must be run in order to reach a quasi-steady state.

Lissauer, Jack J.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Verification and Validation Plan for Flight Performance Requirements on the CEV Parachute Assembly System

The Crew Exploration Vehicle Parachute Assembly System (CPAS) is engaged in a multi-year design and test campaign aimed at qualifying a parachute recovery system for human use on the Orion Spacecraft. Orion has parachute flight performance requirements that will ultimately be verified through the use of Monte Carlo multi-degree of freedom flight simulations. These simulations will be anchored by real world flight test data and iteratively improved to provide a closer approximation to the real physics observed in the inherently chaotic inflation and steady state flight of the CPAS parachutes. This paper will examine the processes necessary to verify the flight performance requirements of the human rated spacecraft. The focus will be on the requirements verification and model validation planned on CPAS.

Morris, Aaron L.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Description of solar structure and processes.

A general introduction to solar structure and processes is presented. The sun is first viewed as a spherically symmetric steady-state system, and the energy generated in the core is traced as it flows outward. The various forms and manifestations of this energy flow and the resulting uniquely defined characteristics of different atmospheric layers are described. The sources of solar activity are assumed to be differential rotation and solar magnetic fields. The interaction of these sources to produce the observed solar cycle, active regions, the active-sun corona, and solar flares is discussed. In describing solar structure and processes, only elementary physical concepts are utilized.

Gibson, E. G.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Dynamics of Langmuir and ion-sound waves in type III solar radio sources

The study traces the evolution of Langmuir and ion-sound waves in type III sources, incorporating linear growth, linear damping, and nonlinear electrostatic decay. Improved estimates are obtained for the wavenumber range of growing waves and the nonlinear coupling coefficient for the decay process. It is shown that the conditions in the solar wind do not allow a steady state to be attained; instead, bursty linear and nonlinear interactions take place, consistent with the highly inhomogeneous and impulsive waves actually observed. Nonlinear growth is found to be rapid enough to saturate the growth of the parent Langmuir waves in the available interaction time. The competing processes of nonlinear wave collapse and quasi-linear relaxation are discussed, and it is concluded that neither is responsible for the saturation of Langmuir growth.

Robinson, P. A.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Steady state, exposure age, and growth of agglutinates in lunar soils

Mineralogical evolution of lunar soils as a function of agglutinate content can be described with the help of a two-component model. Steady-state condition of exposed lunar soils can be achieved only by the balance of comminution, agglutination, and replenishment processes. Rate of replenishment depends on the meteoroid flux and the nature of the substrate which varies both in space and time. Rates of agglutination and comminution depend not only on the micrometeoritic flux but also on the chemical and modal composition of an exposed soil. It is concluded from modeling the above that steady-state condition of lunar soils is independent of its maturity or exposure age. Agglutinate content of a lunar soil can be used to estimate the relative exposure age of the soil only if the soil is in a non-steady-state condition.

Basu, A.↗

NASA NTRS2015

New Insights into Amino Acid Preservation in the Early Oceans Using Modern Analytical Techniques

Protein- and non-protein-amino acids likely occupied the oceans at the time of the origin and evolution of life. Primordial soup-, hydrothermal vent-, and meteoritic-processes likely contributed to this early chemical inventory. Prebiotic synthesis and carbonaceous meteorite studies suggest that non-protein amino acids were likely more abundant than their protein-counterparts. Amino acid preservation before abiotic and biotic destruction is key to biomarker availability in paleoenvironments and remains an important uncertainty. To constrain primitive amino acid lifetimes, a 1992 archived seawater/beach sand mixture was spiked with D,L-alanine, D,L-valine (Val), alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (alpha-AIB), D,L-isovaline (Iva), and glycine (Gly). Analysis by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD) showed that only D-Val and non-protein amino acids were abundant after 2250 days. The mixture was re-analyzed in 2012 using HPLC-FD and a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (QqQ-MS). The analytical results 20 years after the inception of the experiment were strikingly similar to those after 2250 days. To confirm that viable microorganisms were still present, the mixture was re-spiked with Gly in 2012. Aliquots were collected immediately after spiking, and at 5- and 9-month intervals thereafter. Final HPLC-FD/QqQ-MS analyses were performed in 2014. The 2014 analyses revealed that only alpha-AIB, D,L-Iva, and D-Val remained abundant. The disappearance of Gly indicated that microorganisms still lived in the mixture and were capable of consuming protein amino acids. These findings demonstrate that non-protein amino acids are minimally impacted by biological degradation and thus have very long lifetimes under these conditions. Primitive non-protein amino acids from terrestrial synthesis, or meteorite in-fall, likely experienced great-er preservation than protein amino acids in paleo-oceanic environments. Such robust molecules may have reached a steady state concentration dependent on ocean circulation through hydrothermal systems and synthetic input processes. We are presently trying to estimate this concentration.

Parker, Eric T.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Reactivation of a Tin-Oxide-Containing Catalyst

The electrons in electric-discharge CO2 lasers cause dissociation of some CO2 into O2 and CO, and attach themselves to electronegative molecules such as O2, forming negative O2 ions, as well as larger negative ion clusters by collisions with CO or other molecules. The decrease in CO2 concentration due to dissociation into CO and O2 will reduce the average repetitively pulsed or continuous wave laser power, even if no disruptive negative ion instabilities occur. Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to extend the lifetime of a catalyst used to combine the CO and O2 products formed in a laser discharge. A promising low-temperature catalyst for combining CO and O2 is platinum on tin oxide (Pt/SnO2). First, the catalyst is pretreated by a standard procedure. The pretreatment is considered complete when no measurable quantity of CO2 is given off by the catalyst. After this standard pretreatment, the catalyst is ready for its low-temperature use in the sealed, high-energy, pulsed CO2 laser. However, after about 3,000 minutes of operation, the activity of the catalyst begins to slowly diminish. When the catalyst experiences diminished activity during exposure to the circulating gas stream inside or external to the laser, the heated zone surrounding the catalyst is raised to a temperature between 100 and 400 C. A temperature of 225 C was experimentally found to provide an adequate temperature for reactivation. During this period, the catalyst is still exposed to the circulating gas inside or external to the laser. This constant heating and exposing the catalyst to the laser gas mixture is maintained for an hour. After heating and exposing for an appropriate amount of time, the heated zone around the catalyst is allowed to return to the nominal operating temperature of the CO2 laser. This temperature normally resides in the range of 23 to 100 C. Catalyst activity can be measured as the percentage conversion of CO to CO2. In the specific embodiment described above, the initial steady-state conversion percentage was 70 percent. After four days, this conversion percentage decreased to 67 percent. No decrease in activity is acceptable because the catalyst must maintain its activity for long periods of time. After being subjected to the reactivation process of the present invention, the conversion percentage rose to 77 percent. Such a reactivation not only returned the catalyst to its initial steady state but resulted in a 10-percent improvement over the initial steady state value.

Hess, Robert↗

NASA NTRS1971

Transient-forced convection film boiling on an isothermal flat plate

An approach for the solution of transient-forced convection film boiling on an isothermal flat plate using the boundary layer model is developed. The similarity variables are used to convert the governing partial differential equations to ordinary ones. The results of numerical solutions of these ordinary equations indicate that the transient process can be classified as one-dimensional conduction, intermediate, and the steady state regions. The time required for the one-dimensional conduction and the time necessary to attain a steady state condition are obtained. The influence of interfacial shear is seen to be negligible while the Prandtl Number and the ratio (C sub p delta T divided by h sub fg times Pr) have major influence. The use of local similarity approximations for the intermediate regime facilitates prediction of complete boundary layer growth. Using the ratio of time at any instant to the steady state time as abscissa, the curves representing the boundary layer growth can be merged into a single mean curve within 5 percent. Further, the analysis shows that the average rate of heat transfer during transient is 50 to 100 percent higher than those at steady state. The average rate of vapor convected away is 10 to 15 percent lower than at steady state while the average rate of accumulation to form the vapor layer is 1 to 14 times larger. Further, the total heat transferred during transient increases and the evaporation decreases for increasing values of C sub p delta T divided by h sub fg times Pr

Nagendra, H. R.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Formulations and applications of large structure actuator and sensor placements

A new approach based on the steady-state solutions of the optimal control and estimation problems is presented to study respectively the actuator and sensor locations for large flexible structures. A simple and computer-implementable formulation for minimizing the steady state optimal cost function and the state estimation error inherent in the estimation process is given. In conjunction with the new approach, two criteria are established relating the actuator and the sensor placement optimalities respectively to the minimums of the optimal cost function and the state estimation error. To illustrate the concepts of this paper, we present the results of some numerical and analytical studies on the actuator and the sensor locations of several simple flexible beam modes.

Juang, J.-N.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Exact solutions for sporadic acceleration of cosmic rays

The steady state spectra of cosmic rays which are subject to a sporadic acceleration process, wherein the gain in energy in each encounter is a finite fraction of the particle energy are discussed. They are derived from a mathematical model which includes the possibility of energy dependent leakage of cosmic rays from the galaxy. Comparison with observations allows limits to be placed on the frequency and efficiency of such encounters.

Cowsik, R.↗

NASA NTRS1987

A theoretical investigation of laser-sustained plasma thruster

A numerical code has been successfully developed for the investigation of thruster performance using a laser-sustained hydrogen plasma as the propellant. The plasma was sustained using a 10.6-micron CO2 laser beam focused at different positions within the thruster. The physical model assumed that plasma is in thermodynamical equilibrium (LTE), and geometric ray tracing was adopted to describe the laser beam. The steady-state, axisymmetric, Navier-Stokes equations coupled with the laser power absorption process have been solved numerically. A pressure based Navier-Stokes numerical solver using body-fitted coordinates was used to calculate the laser-supported rocket flow which includes both subsonic and supersonic flow regions. From the limited parametric study, which did not try to optimize the rocket performance, it was found that better performance was obtained when the laser beam was focused closer to the rocket throat.

Jeng, San-Mou↗

NASA NTRS2001

Real-Time Optical Monitoring of Flow Kinetics and Gas Phase Reactions Under High-Pressure OMCVD Conditions

This contribution addresses the real-time optical characterization of gas flow and gas phase reactions as they play a crucial role for chemical vapor phase depositions utilizing elevated and high pressure chemical vapor deposition (HPCVD) conditions. The objectives of these experiments are to validate on the basis of results on real-time optical diagnostics process models simulation codes, and provide input parameter sets needed for analysis and control of chemical vapor deposition at elevated pressures. Access to microgravity is required to retain high pressure conditions of laminar flow, which is essential for successful acquisition and interpretation of the optical data. In this contribution, we describe the design and construction of the HPCVD system, which include access ports for various optical methods of real-time process monitoring and to analyze the initial stages of heteroepitaxy and steady-state growth in the different pressure ranges. To analyze the onset of turbulence, provisions are made for implementation of experimental methods for in-situ characterization of the nature of flow. This knowledge will be the basis for the design definition of experiments under microgravity, where gas flow conditions, gas phase and surface chemistry, might be analyzed by remote controlled real-time diagnostics tools, developed in this research project.

Dietz, N.↗

NASA NTRS1993

ACSYNT inner loop flight control design study

The NASA Ames Research Center developed the Aircraft Synthesis (ACSYNT) computer program to synthesize conceptual future aircraft designs and to evaluate critical performance metrics early in the design process before significant resources are committed and cost decisions made. ACSYNT uses steady-state performance metrics, such as aircraft range, payload, and fuel consumption, and static performance metrics, such as the control authority required for the takeoff rotation and for landing with an engine out, to evaluate conceptual aircraft designs. It can also optimize designs with respect to selected criteria and constraints. Many modern aircraft have stability provided by the flight control system rather than by the airframe. This may allow the aircraft designer to increase combat agility, or decrease trim drag, for increased range and payload. This strategy requires concurrent design of the airframe and the flight control system, making trade-offs of performance and dynamics during the earliest stages of design. ACSYNT presently lacks means to implement flight control system designs but research is being done to add methods for predicting rotational degrees of freedom and control effector performance. A software module to compute and analyze the dynamics of the aircraft and to compute feedback gains and analyze closed loop dynamics is required. The data gained from these analyses can then be fed back to the aircraft design process so that the effects of the flight control system and the airframe on aircraft performance can be included as design metrics. This report presents results of a feasibility study and the initial design work to add an inner loop flight control system (ILFCS) design capability to the stability and control module in ACSYNT. The overall objective is to provide a capability for concurrent design of the aircraft and its flight control system, and enable concept designers to improve performance by exploiting the interrelationships between aircraft and flight control system design parameters.

Bortins, Richard↗

NASA NTRS1990

LOX vaporization in high-pressure, hydrogen-rich gas

LOX droplet vaporization in high-pressure hydrogen-rich gas is analyzed, with special attention to thermodynamic effects which compel the surface to heat to the critical state and to supercritical vaporization processes on heating to criticality. Subcritical vaporization is modeled using a quasi-steady diffusion-controlled gas-phase transport formulation coupled to an effective-conductivity internal-energy-transport model accounting for circulation effects. It is demonstrated how the droplet surface might heat to the critical state, for ambient pressures slightly greater than the critical pressure of oxygen, such that the bulk of propellant within the droplet remains substantially below the critical mixing temperature.

Litchford, Ron J.↗