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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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This fastener used in induction heating is a wire screen basically of an eddy current carrying material such as carbon steel. Selected wires in the screen are copper, sheathed in an insulating material. The screen is placed between two sheets of thermoplastics. When inductively heated, the composite softens and flows around the apertures of the screen. After this heating and joining, the copper wires may be used to conduct electricity.
Color video display techniques for flow field surveys are presented. The following techniques were examined: traverse device, used for flow field surveys above and behind finite wing models; flow chart of data reduction for color video display technique; location of spanwise survey stations above and behind wing; hot wire data at first three survey stations on fully stalled wing; hot wire data at last three stations behind fully stalled wing; hot wire and pitch probe data; magnitude of velocity, yaw angle, pitch angle, and cross flow direction from 5 tube survey at X/C = 2.70 behind fully stalled wing.
Ultrasonic therapy for kidney stones improved by new way of connecting wire-probe ultrasonic waveguide to transducer. Improved mounting allows joint to last long enough for effective treatment. Sheath and rubber dampers constrain lateral vibration of wire waveguide. Combination of V-shaped mounting groove, sheath, and rubber dampers increases life expectancy of wire 15 times or more.
Two-wire skin friction gage gives both magnitude and direction of mean and fluctuating stresses. Heated wires lie at surface of gage, measure airflow by cooling effect. Wires perpendicular to each other to measure flow direction as well as magnitude. Used successfully in various turbulent flow fields, including separating three-dimensional boundary layer over cone at high angle of incidence.
Phosphor bronze wire pointed without highly-toxic chemical reagents. Phosphor bronze wire to be pointed affixed to metal post held by fixture, such as pin vise. Fixture moved axially by micrometer allows precise control of position of end of wire with respect to surface of pointing solution. Solution consists of 4 weight percent sulfamic acid crystals in deionized water. Dissolution current adjusted via the autotransformer setting.
Freestanding shells produced for experimental aerodynamic-heating tests. Heat transfer shells require several steps and several precise molds. First, interlocking aluminum male and female molds fabricated. Holes for thermocouples drilled through male mold at desired locations. Wires having same diameter as thermocouple wire placed through holes in male mold flush to female mold. Epoxy exposed to vacuum to remove air bubbles poured between male and female molds to form thin female mold. Once mold cured, wires removed and aluminum molds separated.
A gas temperature measurement system with compensated frequency response of 1 kHz and capability to operate in the exhaust of a gas turbine engine combustor was developed. A review of available technologies which could attain this objective was done. The most promising method was identified as a two wire thermocouple, with a compensation method based on the responses of the two different diameter thermocouples to the fluctuating gas temperature field. In a detailed design of the probe, transient conduction effects were identified as significant. A compensation scheme was derived to include the effects of gas convection and wire conduction. The two wire thermocouple concept was tested in a laboratory burner exhaust to temperatures of about 3000 F and in a gas turbine engine to combustor exhaust temperatures of about 2400 F. Uncompensated and compensated waveforms and compensation spectra are presented.
A mechanism that blocks concentrated sunlight from reaching a receiver, in the event of a tracking failure or loss of coolant is described. Sunlight is normally concentrated by a dish reflector onto the opening of a receiver. A faceplate surrounds the opening, and coolant carrying tubes, line the receiver. If the concentrated sunlight wanders so it begins to fall on the faceplate, then the sunlight will melt a portion of a fuse wire portion will break. The wire is attached to a flange on a shutter frame, and breaking of the fuse wire allows the frame to fall. Normally, the shutter frame supports shutter elements that are held open by cam followers that bear against cams.
A computer simulation system has been developed for the Space Shuttle's advanced Centaur liquid fuel booster rocket, in order to conduct systems safety verification and flight operations training. This simulation utility is designed to analyze functional system behavior by integrating control avionics with mechanical and fluid elements, and is able to emulate any system operation, from simple relay logic to complex VLSI components, with wire-by-wire detail. A novel graphics data entry system offers a pseudo-wire wrap data base that can be easily updated. Visual subsystem operations can be selected and displayed in color on a six-monitor graphics processor. System timing and fault verification analyses are conducted by injecting component fault modes and min/max timing delays, and then observing system operation through a red line monitor.
Formed-in-place staple provides positive mechanical lock. Post-supported, advanced carbon/carbon standoff panels, currently under consideration as alternate thermal protection system for Shuttle orbiter, locking feature applicable to temperatures of 1,600 degrees F (870 degrees C) and higher and employable after panel installed, resulting in blind application. Blind-side locking technique employs wire staple inserted into grooves in post, formed in place by ramped portion of post grooves. This splays out wire ends that move into castellated end of grommet, mechanically locking post and grommet against relative rotation. Splayed ends provide mechanical lock to prevent wire from falling out.
A proportional drift chamber which consists of eight rectangular drift tubes with cross section of 10 cm x 5 cm, a sense wire of 100 micron phi gold-plated tungsten wire and the length of 6 m, was tested using cosmic ray muons. Spatial resolution (rms) is between 0.5 and 1 mm over drift space of 50 mm, depending on incident angle and distance from sense wire.
The dynamics of orbiting tethered bodies are reviewed and several practical aplications are examined. Two tethered masses in orbit will seek a local vertical orientation and a stable equilibrium, with energy transferred to the 'upper' object. The tether tensions are provided by accelerations as low a 0.0004 g., permitting long tethers an relatively large masses at the ends. The Shuttle can send a payload into a transfer orbit by placing it at the upper end of the tether, unreeling the tether, then releasing the tether and thereby imparting the excess energy to the satellite while the Orbiter falls to a lower perigee. A 10 ton payload could be unreeled on a 148 km tether, released to a 12 n. mi. apogee, and the Orbiter would be in full deorbit. Similarly, the Orbiter can tether down to deorbit form the Space Station, boosting the Station to a higher orbit. The station can then unreel a large satellite, release it to a higher orbit, thereby returning to the stations original orbit. Unreeling a wire 10 km from the Space station and having the wire cut the earth's magnetic field lines, then closing the contact between the upward and lower ends of the wire, can, with modifications, either provide power or thrust without propellants for the Station.
The dipole pattern of the antenna was confirmed and work on the MOM diode began. The antenna - detector structure was modified and the measurement apparatus reconfigured to permit precise antenna pattern measurements. Fabrication of the MOM diode was initiated after antenna action from the new structures was observed. A refined antenna structure was developed. The previous antenna design allowed currents induced by the incident radiation in the bonding wires to flow through the bolometer. The detector was thus responding to both the antenna and bonding wire currents. A low pass filter was added to the antenna structure to improve the detection scheme. The new design uses an interdigitated capacitor to prevent the induced current in the bonding wires from flowing through the detection element.
A demonstration test was conducted for two systems of static strain measurement that had been shown to have potential for application jet engine combustors. A modified JT12D combustor was operated in a jet burner test stand while subjected simultaneously to both systems of instrumentation, i.e., Kanthal A-1 wire strain gages and laser speckle photography. A section of the burner was removed for installation and calibration of the wire gages, and welded back into the burner. The burner test rig was modified to provide a viewing port for the laser speckle photography such that the instrumented section could be observed during operation. Six out of ten wire gages survived testing and showed excellent repeatability. The extensive precalibration procedures were shown to be effective in compensating for the large apparent strains associated with these gages. Although all portions of the speckle photography system operated satisfactorily, a problem was encountered in the form of optical inhomogeneities in the hot, high-pressure gas flowing by the combustor case which generate large and random apparent strain distributions.
A method and apparatus for calibrating laser Doppler velocimeters having one or more intersecting beam pairs are described. These velocimeters measure fluid velocity by observing the light scattered by particles in the fluid stream. Moving fluid particulates are simulated by fine taut wires that are radially mounted on a disk that is rotated at a known velocity. The laser beam intersection locus is first aimed at the very center of the disk and then the disk is translated so that the locus is swept by the rotating wires. The radial distance traversed is precisely measured so that the velocity of the wires (pseudo particles) may be calculated.
Strip-aperture model replaces wire-grid model. Far-field radiation pattern of antenna with mesh reflector calculated more accurately with new strip-aperture model than with wire-grid model of reflector surface. More adaptable than wire-grid model to variety of practical configurations and decidedly superior for reflectors in which mesh-cell width exceeds mesh thickness. Satisfies reciprocity theorem. Applied where mesh cells are no larger than tenth of wavelength. Small cell size permits use of simplifying approximation that reflector-surface current induced by electromagnetic field is present even in apertures. Approximation useful in calculating far field.
The anomalous plasma around spacecrafts in low Earth orbit represents the coma of an artificial comet. The plasma discharge is caused by an energetic disturbance of charged particles which were formerly in a state of equilibrium. The plasma can effect the passive and active radio frequency operation of large space antennas by inducing corona discharge or strong arcing in the antenna feeds. One such large space antenna is the 15-meter hoop column antenna which consists of a mesh membrane material (tricot knitted gold plated wire) reflector and carbon fiber tension cords. The atomic oxygen in the plasma discharge state can force the wire base metal particles through the gold lattice and oxydize the metal particles to build a Schottky-barrier contact at the point where the wires meet. This effect can cause strong deviations in the reflector performance in terms of antenna pattern and losses. Also, the carbon-fiber cords can experience a strength reduction of 30 percent over a 40-hour exposure time.
The electron bombardment furnace consists of two confinement grid sections which may be moved and separated from each other. Inside the bombardment furnace, a tungsten element is enclosed. The material specimen is located within the tungsten element and grounded by means of grounded support wires connected to the respective sections of the furnace. The material specimen is supported on the ground wires and heated by electron bombardment until melt occurs. The furnace sections are separated in opposite directions causing the ground wires to pull from the surfaces of the specimen, leaving the specimen freely suspended in the process chamber without the action of external forces. The specimen remains in its melt condition in the processing chamber where it can be undercooled without external forces acting on the specimen, which would cause dynamic nucleation.