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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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1982

On the power output of some idealized source configurations with one or more characteristic dimensions

The calculation of power output from a (finite) linear array of equidistant point sources is investigated with allowance for a relative phase shift and particular focus on the circumstances of small/large individual source separation. A key role is played by the estimates found for a twin parameter definite integral that involves the Fejer kernel functions, where N denotes a (positive) integer; these results also permit a quantitative accounting of energy partition between the principal and secondary lobes of the array pattern. Continuously distributed sources along a finite line segment or an open ended circular cylindrical shell are considered, and estimates for the relatively lower output in the latter configuration are made explicit when the shell radius is small compared to the wave length. A systematic reduction of diverse integrals which characterize the energy output from specific line and strip sources is investigated.

Levine, H.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Noise transmission characteristics of a large scale composite fuselage model

Results from an experimental test undertaken to study the basic noise transmission characteristics of a realistic, built-up composite fuselage model are presented. The floor-equipped stiffened composite cylinder was exposed to a number of different exterior noise source configurations in a large anechoic chamber. These exterior source configurations included two point sources located in the same plane on opposite sides of the cylinder, a single point source and a propeller simulator. The results indicate that the interior source field is affected strongly by exterior noise source phasing. Sidewall treatment is seen to reduce the overall interior sound pressure levels and dampen dominant acoustic resonances so that other acoustic modes can affect interior noise distribution.

Beyer, Todd B.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Issues in the reconstruction of environmental doses on the basis of thermoluminescence measurements in the Techa riverside

The potential of thermoluminescence measurements of bricks from the contaminated area of the Techa river valley, Southern Urals, Russia, for reconstructing external exposures of affected population groups has been studied. Thermoluminescence dating of background samples was used to evaluate the age of old buildings available on the river banks. The anthropogenic gamma dose accrued in exposed samples is determined by subtracting the natural radiation background dose for the corresponding age from the accumulated dose measured by thermoluminescence. For a site in the upper Techa river region, where the levels of external exposures were extremely high, the depth-dose distribution in bricks and the dependence of accidental dose on the height of the sampling position were determined. For the same site, Monte Carlo simulations of radiation transport were performed for different source configurations corresponding to the situation before and after the construction of a reservoir on the river and evacuation of the population in 1956. A comparison of the results provides an understanding of the features of the measured depth-dose distributions and height dependencies in terms of the source configurations and shows that bricks from the higher sampling positions are likely to have accrued a larger fraction of anthropogenic dose from the time before the construction of the reservoir. The applicability of the thermoluminescent dosimetry method to environmental dose reconstruction in the middle Techa region, where the external exposure was relatively low, was also investigated.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗
NASA NTRS1997

Evidence for Highly Inhomogeneous mm-Wave Sources During the Impulsive Flare of May 9, 1991

In this paper multiwavelength observations of an impulsive flare of May 9, 1991 are presented. This event was observed with the 48 GHz multibeam focal array used at the Itapetinga radio telescope, the microwave patrol telescopes at Bem and the BATSE high time resolution hard X-ray spectrometer on board CGRO. While spatially unresolved low sensitivity observations show two major impulsive peaks, the mm-wave observations with the ability of spatially high resolved tracking of the emission centroids suggest a primarily bipolar source configuration. For the first time two mm-wave sources with a spacing below the HPBW could be separated with the multibeam technique. The general features of the observations are explained as emission of partially trapped electrons. Furthermore we present evidence for highly inhomogeneous substructures within one of the two mm-wave sources for which the positional scatter of the emission center, within 2s, is less than 2".

Hermann, R.↗
NASA NTRS2005

International Space Station Electric Power System Performance Code-SPACE

The System Power Analysis for Capability Evaluation (SPACE) software analyzes and predicts the minute-by-minute state of the International Space Station (ISS) electrical power system (EPS) for upcoming missions as well as EPS power generation capacity as a function of ISS configuration and orbital conditions. In order to complete the Certification of Flight Readiness (CoFR) process in which the mission is certified for flight each ISS System must thoroughly assess every proposed mission to verify that the system will support the planned mission operations; SPACE is the sole tool used to conduct these assessments for the power system capability. SPACE is an integrated power system model that incorporates a variety of modules tied together with integration routines and graphical output. The modules include orbit mechanics, solar array pointing/shadowing/thermal and electrical, battery performance, and power management and distribution performance. These modules are tightly integrated within a flexible architecture featuring data-file-driven configurations, source- or load-driven operation, and event scripting. SPACE also predicts the amount of power available for a given system configuration, spacecraft orientation, solar-array-pointing conditions, orbit, and the like. In the source-driven mode, the model must assure that energy balance is achieved, meaning that energy removed from the batteries must be restored (or balanced) each and every orbit. This entails an optimization scheme to ensure that energy balance is maintained without violating any other constraints.

Hojnicki, Jeffrey↗
NASA NTRS2003

120-GHz HEMT Oscillator With Surface-Wave-Assisted Antenna

Two monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) have been designed and built to function together as a source of electromagnetic radiation at a frequency of 120 GHz. One of the MMICs is an oscillator and is the highest-power 120-GHz oscillator reported thus far in the literature. The other MMIC is an end-fire antenna that radiates the oscillator signal. Although these MMICs were constructed as separate units and electrically connected with wire bonds, future oscillator/ antenna combinations could readily be fabricated as monolithic integrated units. Such units could be used as relatively high-power solid-state microwave sources in diverse applications that include automotive radar, imaging, scientific instrumentation, communications, and radio astronomy. As such, these units would be attractive alternatives to vacuum-tube oscillators, which are still used to obtain acceptably high power in the frequency range of interest. The oscillator (see figure) includes a high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT), with gate-periphery dimensions of 4 by 37 m, in a common-source configuration. The series feedback element of the oscillator is a grounded coplanar waveguide (CPW) at the source. The HEMT is biased for class-A operation (meaning that current is conducted throughout the oscillation cycle) to maximize the output power of the oscillator. Input and output impedance-matching circuit elements are designed to maximize output power and to establish the conditions needed for oscillation. The design of the antenna takes advantage of surface waves, which, heretofore, have been regarded as highly disadvantageous because they can leak power and degrade the performances of antennas that have not been designed to exploit them. Measures taken to suppress surface waves have included complex machining of circuit substrates and addition of separate substrates. These measures are difficult to implement in standard MMIC fabrication processes. In contrast, because the design of the present antenna eliminates the need to suppress surface waves, the fabrication of the antenna is fully compatible with standard MMIC fabrication processes.

Samoska, Lorene↗
NASA NTRS1975

Radiation pattern synthesis of planar antennas using the iterative sampling method

A synthesis method is presented for determining an excitation of an arbitrary (but fixed) planar source configuration. The desired radiation pattern is specified over all or part of the visible region. It may have multiple and/or shaped main beams with low sidelobes. The iterative sampling method is used to find an excitation of the source which yields a radiation pattern that approximates the desired pattern to within a specified tolerance. In this paper the method is used to calculate excitations for line sources, linear arrays (equally and unequally spaced), rectangular apertures, rectangular arrays (arbitrary spacing grid), and circular apertures. Examples using these sources to form patterns with shaped main beams, multiple main beams, shaped sidelobe levels, and combinations thereof are given.

Stutzman, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Optimal one-section and two-section circular sound-absorbing duct liners for plane-wave and monopole sources without flow

A discrete frequency study is made of the influence of source characteristics on the optimal properties of acoustically lined uniform and two section ducts. Two simplified sources, a plane wave and a monopole, are considered in some detail and over a greater frequency range than has been previously studied. Source and termination impedance effects are given limited examination. An example of a turbomachinery source and three associated source variants is also presented. Optimal liner designs based on modal theory approach the Cremer criterion at low frequencies and the geometric acoustics limit at high frequencies. Over an intermediate frequency range, optimal two section liners produced higher transmission losses than did the uniform configurations. Source distribution effects were found to have a significant effect on optimal liner design, but source and termination impedance effects appear to be relatively unimportant.

Lester, H. C.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Instrument and method for X-ray diffraction, fluorescence, and crystal texture analysis without sample preparation

An X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence instrument for analyzing samples having no sample preparation includes a X-ray source configured to output a collimated X-ray beam comprising a continuum spectrum of X-rays to a predetermined coordinate and a photon-counting X-ray imaging spectrometer disposed to receive X-rays output from an unprepared sample disposed at the predetermined coordinate upon exposure of the unprepared sample to the collimated X-ray beam. The X-ray source and the photon-counting X-ray imaging spectrometer are arranged in a reflection geometry relative to the predetermined coordinate.

Gendreau, Keith↗
NASA NTRS1972

An integrated radiation physics computer code system.

An integrated computer code system for the semi-automatic and rapid analysis of experimental and analytic problems in gamma photon and fast neutron radiation physics is presented. Such problems as the design of optimum radiation shields and radioisotope power source configurations may be studied. The system codes allow for the unfolding of complex neutron and gamma photon experimental spectra. Monte Carlo and analytic techniques are used for the theoretical prediction of radiation transport. The system includes a multichannel pulse-height analyzer scintillation and semiconductor spectrometer coupled to an on-line digital computer with appropriate peripheral equipment. The system is geometry generalized as well as self-contained with respect to material nuclear cross sections and the determination of the spectrometer response functions. Input data may be either analytic or experimental.

Steyn, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Rarefied gas dynamic effects on mass spectrometric studies of upper planetary atmospheres

Results are presented of measurements obtained with an open-source mass spectrometer both in earth orbit and in a laboratory molecular beam facility. The mass spectrometer/ion source combination was developed in the laboratory to be operable in either of two modes by altering ion extraction potential on ground command, i.e., as a stagnation cavity or to respond only to the incoming molecules of the unperturbed atmosphere. Results indicate that the use of this open-source configuration and dual-mode capability, allied with both standard static calibration and dynamic calibration using high-speed molecular beam techniques in the laboratory, allows collection of useful data on aeronomy of the upper atmosphere of planets and comet tails.

French, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1987

A finite difference-time domain technique for modeling narrow apertures in conducting scatterers

The finite difference-time domain (FDTD) technique has proven to be a valuable tool for the calculation of the transient and steady state scattering characteristics of relatively complex scatterer and source configurations. In spite of its usefulness, it exhibits serious deficiencies when used to analyze geometries that contain fine detail. An FDTD technique is described that utilizes Babinet's principle to decouple the regions on both sides of the aperture. The result is an FDTD technique that is capable of modeling apertures that are much smaller than the spatial grid used in the analysis and yet is not perturbed by numerical noise when used in the 'scattered field' mode. Numerical results are presented that show the field penetration through cavity-backed apertures that are much smaller than the spatial grid used during the solution.

Demarest, Kenneth R.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Interaction of surface radiation with convection in crystal growth by physical vapor transport

Growth of single crystals from vapor in closed ampoules is governed by an intricate interplay between mass, momentum and heat transfer processes. The objective of this study is to examine and isolate the effects of surface radiation heat transfer on the vapor transport process using a mathematical model. The model consists of a set of coupled nonlinear partial differential equations for conservation of mass, momentum, energy and species, and the integrodifferential equations which represent radiative exchange. It depends on five important physical parameters. These are Grashof number, Prandtl number, Schmidt number, aspect ratio and the radiation-conduction number. The effects of these dimensionless groupings are systematically investigated. From the cases examined, it is concluded that surface radiation can change the flow structure appreciably. This is especially true in microgravity environment where radiation competes primarily with conduction in modifying the thermal profiles. The numerical results also show that in the presence of radiation, the top heating configuration (source on top) is no longer stable and that near the growing crystal, radiation-induced vortices can introduce significant nonuniformities in the growth flux.

Kassemi, Mohammad↗
NASA NTRS1992

Binaural auralization and perceptual verdicality

Early reflection patterns calculated from a room design program were filtered with measured head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) within a 'hypothetical auralization system.' With reference to a particular set of room/listener/sound source configurations, the system is shown to produce both perceptible and imperceptible results. The results of this exploratory analysis are illuminating for future design considerations of HRTF-based auralization systems.

Begault, Durand R.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Finite Element and Plate Theory Modeling of Acoustic Emission Waveforms

A comparison was made between two approaches to predict acoustic emission waveforms in thin plates. A normal mode solution method for Mindlin plate theory was used to predict the response of the flexural plate mode to a point source, step-function load, applied on the plate surface. The second approach used a dynamic finite element method to model the problem using equations of motion based on exact linear elasticity. Calculations were made using properties for both isotropic (aluminum) and anisotropic (unidirectional graphite/epoxy composite) materials. For simulations of anisotropic plates, propagation along multiple directions was evaluated. In general, agreement between the two theoretical approaches was good. Discrepancies in the waveforms at longer times were caused by differences in reflections from the lateral plate boundaries. These differences resulted from the fact that the two methods used different boundary conditions. At shorter times in the signals, before reflections, the slight discrepancies in the waveforms were attributed to limitations of Mindlin plate theory, which is an approximate plate theory. The advantages of the finite element method are that it used the exact linear elasticity solutions, and that it can be used to model real source conditions and complicated, finite specimen geometries as well as thick plates. These advantages come at a cost of increased computational difficulty, requiring lengthy calculations on workstations or supercomputers. The Mindlin plate theory solutions, meanwhile, can be quickly generated on personal computers. Specimens with finite geometry can also be modeled. However, only limited simple geometries such as circular or rectangular plates can easily be accommodated with the normal mode solution technique. Likewise, very limited source configurations can be modeled and plate theory is applicable only to thin plates.

Prosser, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS2006

The Low-Noise Potential of Distributed Propulsion on a Catamaran Aircraft

The noise shielding potential of an inboard-wing catamaran aircraft when coupled with distributed propulsion is examined. Here, only low-frequency jet noise from mid-wing-mounted engines is considered. Because low frequencies are the most difficult to shield, these calculations put a lower bound on the potential shielding benefit. In this proof-of-concept study, simple physical models are used to describe the 3-D scattering of jet noise by conceptualized catamaran aircraft. The Fast Scattering Code is used to predict noise levels on and about the aircraft. Shielding results are presented for several catamaran type geometries and simple noise source configurations representative of distributed propulsion radiation. Computational analyses are presented that demonstrate the shielding benefits of distributed propulsion and of increasing the width of the inboard wing. Also, sample calculations using the FSC are presented that demonstrate additional noise reduction on the aircraft fuselage by the use of acoustic liners on the inboard wing trailing edge. A full conceptual aircraft design would have to be analyzed over a complete mission to more accurately quantify community noise levels and aircraft performance, but the present shielding calculations show that a large acoustic benefit could be achieved by combining distributed propulsion and liner technology with a twin-fuselage planform.

Posey, Joe W.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Simulation Environment for Orion Launch Abort System Control Design Studies

The development and use of an interactive environment to perform control system design and analysis of the proposed Crew Exploration Vehicle Launch Abort System is described. The environment, built using a commercial dynamic systems design package, includes use of an open-source configuration control software tool and a collaborative wiki to coordinate between the simulation developers, control law developers and users. A method for switching between multiple candidate control laws and vehicle configurations is described. Aerodynamic models, especially in a development program, change rapidly, so a means for automating the implementation of new aerodynamic models is described.

McMinn, J. Dana↗