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At least 1,693 records · Page 94

Applications of tethers for planetary missions

Ideas of deep space exploration are considered. The role of tethers in deep space is of most concern. A proposal of a tethered instrument package in orbit about the Moon is explored. The idea of a sling on the surface of the Moon which would take solar energy and build up momentum of the sling is studied. The NASA idea of a Mars Aeronomy Orbiter which would use a tether to enhance the planned Mars Orbiter is reviewed. It is also proposed that a tether can be attached to an asteroid during a spacecraft flyby. The possibility of using tethers to provide a transportation system for payloads which are coming to the surface from escape, and which are leaving Mars and escaping from Mars itself is also studied. A proposal from the Jet Propulsion Lab. on collecting comet or asteroid samples and returning them to Earth is reviewed. A tethered penetrator which could collect core samples is the proposed way. Also considered is the area of electrodynamic tethers at Jupiter.

Penzo, P.↗

A theoretical model for the annular jet instability

The instability of an annular gas-core liquid jet is modeled theoretically by treating the liquid layer as a membrane moving under the influences of its own inertia, surface tension, and the gaseous hydrostatic pressure difference between its two sides. Essential physical mechanisms are reconstructed without making any attempt to fit experimental data with model constants. The results compare favorably with those of experiment.

Lee, C. P.↗

An examination of vertical circulations associated with heavy snow events along the East Coast

Observational data are presented to show how a particular orientation of upper-level jet streaks (ULJS) associated with a diffluent trough near the East Coast of the U.S. can lead to heavy snowfalls. Surface fronts, precipitation and isobar maps, vertical motion vectors, and geostrophic wind streamlines preceding and during snowstorms on February 11, 1983, February 19, 1979, January 20, 1978, and January 13, 1964 are examined. The interaction of a direct vertical ageostrophic circulation within the confluent entrance of a ULJS over the northeastern U.S. or southeastern Canada and an indirect circulation within the exit region of a ULJS accompanying a trough nearing the East Coast are demonstrated to be conducive to heavy snowfall on the East Coast.

Kocin, Paul J.↗

Ground-based infrared observations of comet Halley

Ground-based 2-23 micron photometry and 10.3 micron imaging of comet Halley taken within hours of the Giotto spacecraft encounter are presented. The photometry shows a color temperature of 360 K and silicate emission features at 10 and 20 microns, and the image shows jet activity similar to that observed by Giotto, but on a scale of thousands of km. The expected 10 micron surface brightness, based on the particle mass distribution measured by Giotto and assuming solid, spherical grains, is a factor of six lower than the observed value. It is suggested that fluffy particles could remove this discrepancy.

Hayward, T. L.↗

Scientific computing challenges arising from space-borne observations

Five supercomputing problems are described: (1) determining the motions of the earth's inner core boundary from outer-space measurements of the magnetic field, (2) simulating the global dynamics of the earth's ocean currents, sea-ice cycles, land surface biology, and interannual atmospheric climates, (3) upper atmospheric chemistry, (4) modeling solar flare eruptions, and (5) the role of jet processes in the birth of stars. In addition, two examples indicating the growing importance of the use of supercomputers for scientific visualization are presented. The first deals with remote mapping from space of the earth's topography or other planets. The second problem from astrophysics deals with mapping the cosmic background radiation in the presence of other astronomical signatures. A brief overview of interdisciplinary modeling plans under development for the next generation of supercomputers is given.

Halem, Milton↗

Buoyancy effects on the vapor condensation rate on a horizontal liquid surface

The results are presented of a numerical study of the effects of buoyancy on the direct condensation of saturated or nearly saturated vapor on a horizontal liquid surface in a cylindrical tank. The liquid motion beneath the liquid-vapor interface is induced by an axisymmetric laminar jet of subcooled liquid. Analysis and numerical results show that the dominant parameter which determines the influence of buoyancy on the condensation rate is the Richardson number. However, the effect of buoyancy on the condensation rate cannot be quantified in terms of the Richardson number alone. The critical value of the Richardson number below which the condensation rate is not significantly reduced depends on the Reynolds number as well as the Prandtl number.

Hasan, Mohammad M.↗

Buoyancy effects on the vapor condensation rate on a horizontal liquid surface

The results are presented of a numerical study of the effects of buoyancy on the direct condensation of saturated or nearly saturated vapor on a horizontal liquid surface in a cylindrical tank. The liquid motion beneath the liquid-vapor interface is induced by an axisymmetric laminar jet of subcooled liquid. Analysis and numerical results show that the dominant parameter which determines the influence of buoyancy on the condensation rate is the Richardson number. However, the effect of buoyancy on the condensation rate cannot be quantified in terms of the Richardson number alone. The critical value of the Richardson number below which the condensation rate is not significantly reduced depends on the Reynolds number as well as the Prandtl number.

Hasan, Mohammad M.↗

An investigation of air transportation technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology: 1993-1994

There are two completed projects and two continuing research activities under the sponsorship of the FAA/NASA Joint University Program as the 1993-94 period ends. There were a number of publications during the year which are referenced in this report. A brief summary of the continuing research projects is provided. The completed projects were (1) Analysis of Aircraft Surface Motion at Boston Logan International Airport and (2) A State of the Art Review and Critical Analysis of World Jet Transport Safety and Aviation Fire Safety. The active research projects are (1) ASLOTS - An Interactive Adaptive System for Automated Approach Spacing of Aircraft and (2) Alerting in Automated and Datalink Capable Cockpits.

Simpson, Robert W.↗

Measuring Thermal Conductivity and Moisture Absorption of Cryo-Insulation Materials

NASA is seeking to develop thermal insulation material systems suitable for withstanding both extremely high temperatures encountered during atmospheric re-entry heating and aero- braking maneuvers, as well as extremely low temperatures existing in liquid fuel storage tanks. Currently, materials used for the high temperature insulation or Thermal Protection System (TPS) are different from the low temperature, or cryogenic insulation. Dual purpose materials are necessary to the development of reusable launch vehicles (RLV). The present Space Shuttle (or Space Transportation System, STS) employs TPS materials on the orbiter and cryo-insulation materials on the large fuel tank slung under the orbiter. The expensive fuel tank is jettisoned just before orbit is achieved and it burns up while re-entering over the Indian Ocean. A truly completely reusable launch vehicle must store aR cryogenic fuel internally. The fuel tanks will be located close to the outer surface. In fact the outer skin of the craft will probably also serve as the fuel tank enclosure, as in jet airliners. During a normal launch the combined TPS/cryo-insulation system will serve only as a low temperature insulator, since aerodynamic heating is relatively minimal during ascent to orbit. During re-entry, the combined TPS/cryo-insulation system will serve only as a high temperature insulator, since all the cryogenic fuel will have been expended in orbit. However, in the event of an.aborted launch or a forced/emergency early re-entry, the tanks will still contain fuel, and the TPS/cryo-insulation will have to serve as both low and high temperature insulation. Also, on long duration missions, such as to Mars, very effective cryo-insulation materials are needed to reduce bod off of liquid propellants, thereby reducing necessary tankage volume, weight, and cost. The conventional approach to obtaining both low and high temperature insulation, such as is employed for the X-33 and X-34 spacecraft, is to use separate TPS and cryo-insulation materials, which are connected by means of adhesives or stand-offs (spacers). Three concepts are being considered: (1) the TPS is bonded directly to the cryo-insulation which, in turn, is bonded to the exterior of the tank, (2) stand-offs are used to make a gap between the TPS and the cryo-insulation, which is bonded externally to the tank, (3) TPS is applied directly or with stand-offs to the exterior so the tank, and cryo-insulation is applied directly to the interior of the tank. Many potential problems are inherent in these approaches. For example, mismatch between coefficients of thermal expansion of the TPS and cryo-insulation, as well as aerodynamic loads, could lead to failure of the bond. Internal cryo-insulation must be prevent from entering the sump of the fuel turbo-pump. The mechanical integrity of the stand-off structure (if used) must withstand multiple missions. During ground hold (i.e., prior to launch) moisture condensation must be minimized in the gap between the cryo-insulation and the TPS. The longer term solution requires the development of a single material to act as cryo- insulation during ground hold and as TPS during re-entry. Such a material minimizes complexity and weight while improving reliability and reducing cost.

Lambert, Michael A.↗

Laser Remote Sensing and Lidar Measurements for Planetary Bodies

Laser Remote Sensing and lidar have been used for earth remote sensing for a number of years however the inefficiency of laser devices has limited their application to planetary sensing where power is at a premium. The potential availability of a large amount of power for the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) opens up the potential to implement laser remote sensing for planetary bodies. Lidars have been and can be used to map terrain, measure atmospheric and surface parameters including velocity and composition. In this paper we will provide an overview of the lidar capabilities at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and address the types of lidar measurements that could be relevant to JIMO science investigations.

Spiers, G. D.↗

Laminar Soot Processes (Lsp) Experiment: Findings From Ground-Based Measurements

Processes of soot formation and oxidation must be understood in order to achieve reliable computational combustion calculations for nonpremixed (diffusion) flames involving hydrocarbon fuels. Motivated by this observation, the present investigation extended earlier work on soot formation and oxidation in laminar jet ethylene/air and methane/oxygen premixed and acetylene-nitrogen/air diffusion flames at atmospheric pressure in this laboratory, emphasizing soot surface growth and early soot surface oxidation in laminar diffusion flames fueled with a variety of hydrocarbons at pressures in the range 0.1 - 1.0 atm.

Kim, C. H.↗

Comparative Results of Tests on Several Different Types of Nozzles

This paper presents the results of tests conducted to determine the effect of the constructional elements of a Laval nozzle on the velocity and pressure distribution and the magnitude of the reaction force of the jet. The effect was studied of the shapes of the entrance section of the nozzle and three types of divergent sections: namely, straight cone, conoidal with cylindrical and piece and diffuser obtained computationally by a graphical method due to Professor F. I. Frankle. The effect of the divergence angle of the nozzle on the jet reaction was also investigated. The results of the investigation showed that the shape of the generator of the inner surface of the entrance part of the nozzle essentially has no effect on the character of the flow and on the reaction. The nozzle that was obtained by graphical computation assured the possibility of obtaining a flow for which the velocity of all the gas particles is parallel to the axis of symmetry of the nozzle, the reaction being on the average 2 to 3 percent greater than for the usual conical nozzle under the same conditions, For the conical nozzle the maximum reaction was obtained for a cone angle of 25deg to 27deg. At the end of this paper a sample computation is given by the graphical method. The tests were started at the beginning of 1936 and this paper was written at the same time.

Kisenko, M. S.↗

Cascade Helps JPL Explore the Solar System

At Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), we are involved with the unmanned exploration of the solar system. Unmanned probes observe the planet surfaces using radar and optical cameras to take a variety of measurements.

maximum likelihood decoder mcd asic viterbi encodi↗

Ice Accretion Measurements on an Airfoil and Wedge in Mixed-Phase Conditions

This paper describes ice accretion measurements from experiments conducted at the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada's Research Altitude Test Facility during 2012. Due to numerous engine power loss events associated with high altitude convective weather, potential ice accretion within an engine due to ice crystal ingestion is being investigated collaboratively by NASA and NRC. These investigations examine the physical mechanisms of ice accretion on surfaces exposed to ice crystal and mixed phase conditions, similar to those believed to exist in core compressor regions of jet engines. A further objective of these tests is to examine scaling effects since altitude appears to play a key role in this icing process.

ice crystals↗

SWOT and NISAR Boom Ground Deployment Test Challenges & Resolution

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is developing two new spacecraft that use radar instruments to characterize temporal changes in the Earth’s surface with unprecedented precision (Figure 1). Both the Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) and the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) spacecraft utilize large, precision flight deployable booms to properly position and support their instrument reflectors. The SWOT spacecraft includes two nearly identical reflector booms, each of which have similar flight deployable hinge designs. The NISAR spacecraft has a single reflector boom, with four unique hinge designs. These booms each undergo a multi-staged flight deployment sequence on orbit to transition from the launch stowed configuration to the science configuration within days of launch (Figure 2). The SWOT and NISAR Projects faced significant challenges relevant to requirement verification as well as hardware safety in their approach to ground testing these large flight deployables. This report summarizes flight deployable system design decisions that contributed to ground testing challenges. The report also summarizes the architecture trade study conducted for ground deployment testing. A summary of key issues encountered during flight deployable ground testing with the chosen common gravity offload system ensues, with discussion of the issues and mitigation measures implemented by both Projects that ultimately enabled successful flight subsystem-level full range of motion ground tests. Recommendations and lessons learned are offered to facilitate ground testability of future analogous large scale flight deployables.

Waters, Kyle C.↗

Metrological and Spectral Characterization of the Aspera Flight Optics

Aspera is a NASA's Astrophysics Pioneers mission, led by the University of Arizona. The aim of this mission is to study the presence of hot gasses (T=10^5-10^6 K) in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) and how the flow of these gasses affects galactic formation. One key enabling technology in the Aspera optical system is the use of more efficient UV-reflective optical coatings particularly at around 103.2 nm where the O VI emission line is located . In order to meet radiometric effective area requirements, the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) code 551 Optics Branch applied Al (aluminum) + eLiF (enhanced lithium fluoride) on these optics, where the Al+LiF is annealed at elevated temperature (~250˚C) after the deposition and thus providing an improved version of the Al+LiF used in FUSE . Furthermore, these optics are encapsulated with a thin film of atomic layer deposited MgF2 at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for enhanced durability . The efficiency and durability of these coatings depends on the quality of the optical surface in terms of cleanliness and roughness. Roughness increases the scatter off the coating and reduces the specular reflectance, and surface contaminants can accommodate moisture and other contaminants, increase scattering, and are weak points in the coating that may affect adhesion and subsequently the longevity of these coatings. Extensive optical metrology is necessary to minimize and quantify the impact of surface roughness and contaminants on optical surfaces. In this proceeding we report the inspection procedure implemented for Aspera optics at GSFC, from initial receiving of the optics to post-coating. Inspection includes Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning White Light Interferometry (SWILI), Dark Field Microscopy (DFM), Phase Shifting Interferometry (PSI), and Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectroscopy. Combinations of these techniques are used to inspect flight optics at each of the following steps: i) as-received, pre-cleaning inspection, ii) pre-coating, post-cleaning inspection, and iii) post-coating inspection. The evolution of roughness and other surface inspections such as contaminants are compared between each step to quantify the effect each step has on the flight optics. The final far ultraviolet (FUV) spectral performance of witness samples coated with the flight optics are presented.

Far Ultraviolet (FUV)↗

Liquid Droplet Printing

The center has recently invested in a new additive manufacturing technology known as liquid metal jetting or liquid droplet printing. The Additec ElemX machine’s process utilizes wire feedstock fed into a ceramic crucible, where it is melted and ejected by pulsed Lorentz force using an external coil. The team will start with material characterization of various commercially available aluminum alloys to establish process parameters, repeatability, mechanical properties, and microstructure. Future research will consider additional alloys and explore concepts that may potentially adapt the technology for relevance in zero or low gravity environments. The printer has a 12”x12”x4.7” build volume and 0.24mm minimum layer height, with surface finishes comparable to sand castings.

liquid droplet printing↗

Selective IR multiphoton dissociation of molecules in a pulsed gas-dynamically cooled molecular flow interacting with a solid surface as an alternative to low-energy methods of molecular laser isotope separation

We report the results of studies on the isotope-selective infrared multiphoton dissociation (IR MFD) of SF{sub 6} and CF{sub 3}I molecules in a pulsed, gas-dynamically cooled molecular flow interacting with a solid surface. The productivity of this method in the conditions of a specific experiment (by the example of SF{sub 6} molecules) is evaluated. A number of low-energy methods of molecular laser isotope separation based on the use of infrared lasers for selective excitation of molecules are analysed and their productivity is estimated. The methods are compared with those of selective dissociation of molecules in the flow interacting with a surface. The advantages of this method compared to the low-energy methods of molecular laser isotope separation and the IR MPD method in the unperturbed jets and flows are shown. It is concluded that this method could be a promising alternative to the low-energy methods of molecular laser isotope separation. (laser separation of isotopes)

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗