NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 19980004809: Beyond Our Boundaries: Research and Technology

294 Pages·22.5 MB·English

by  NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Researchand
Technology1996
Annual Report of the
Marshall Space Flight Center
NASA TM-108530
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
George C. Marshall Space Flight Center
Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama 35812

Introduction
As the world around us changes, new and complex
technological challenges greet us at every turn. At the Marshall
Space Flight Center, a talented team of scientists and engineers
with a synergistic spirit rises to meet those challenges with faith
in Marshall's credo: That our capabilities and successes are
possible by a continuing emphasis on scientific research and the
development of technology.
People across the country and around the world have benefited
by our work in ways that once were only imagined, and it is that
limitless imagination and the new ideas of the NASA "can-do"
spirit that form the very cornerstone of our Nation's space
program.
As we move toward the goal of increasingly accessible space
transportation and the next generation of propulsion systems and
launch vehicles, as well as long-term research aboard the
International Space Station, our scientific and engineering teams
continue to probe the vast frontiers of challenge and change. In
the following pages, you will see a sample of the scope and
diversity of the research and technology activities conducted
here and catch a glimpse of stimulating future goals for the
exploration of space.
J_Wa:ne L_.tl lesC_
Director
Marshall Space Flight Center
Acknowledgements
The point of contact and coordinator at MSFC for this report is Helen Stinson, Technology Investment Office,
(LA40/205-544-7239). She was assisted by an editorial committee consisting of Sherman Jobe, Axel Roth, Eugene
Urban, and Gabe Wallace. Detailed editorial support and production assistance was provided by MSI, a Division of
The Bionetics Corporation. The research and technology work at MSFC is a cooperative effort; however, due to
space restrictions, it is impossible to list all those involved in the projects described in this report.
To assist the reader, the MSFC contact, office code, telephone number, and e-mail address are included at the
beginning of each article. The sponsoring organization and university/industry involvement are given at the end of
each article. An abbreviations and acronyms list, an alphabetical index of contacts, and an index of key words are
presented at the end of this report.
This publication can be found on the Internet at: http://techtran.msfc.nasa.gov/96R&T/index.html.
Table of Contents
BeyondOurBoundaries viii
TechnologyPrograms
Introduction Grady S. Jobe 1
Advanced Space Transportation Projects
Magnetohydrodynamics: H20TSTUF Tony Robertson 2
Magnetohydrodynamics: Investigations of External MHD Slipstream
Accelerator Technologies Tony Robertson 3
Solar Thermal Propulsion Absorber/Thruster Harold E Gerrish 4
Low-Cost Booster Propulsion System Test Article Mark E Fisher 6
Integrated Propulsion Technology Demonstrator Joe L. Leopard 7
Uni-Element Injector Testing John M. Cramer 9
John J. Hutt
Thin Membrane Fresnel Lens for Solar Thermal Propulsion Vinson B. Huegele 11
Nuclear Fission Propulsion Bill Emrich 12
Fusion Propulsion Bill Emrich 13
Components for Beamed Energy Transportation Edward Montgomery 13
Advanced Reusable Transportation Technologies Project James E. Turner 14
Solar Thermal Propulsion Flight Experiment Leslie Curtis 15
Magnetic Lifter Joe Howell 17
Superconductor Interactions with Gravity Ron Koczor 21
Pulse Detonation Rocket Engines John M. Cramer 21
Propulsion and Fluid Management
Advanced Gas/Gas Injector Technology Huu P. Trinh 23
Tripropellant Effervescent Injector Study Huu P. Trinh 24
Pintle Injector Study for Liquid Bipropellant Engines Huu P. Trinh 26
Solid Rocket Motor Asbestos-Free Insulation John O. Funkhouser
Charles L. Martin 28
Revolutionary Reusable Technology Turbopump Mary Beth Koelbl 29
Electromechanical Actuator Testing at IPTD Rae Ann Weir 31
Propulsion System Design Reliability Modeling Michael Whitley 33
Magnetically Actuated Propellant Orientation George Schmidt 35
Jim Martin
Multipurpose Hydrogen Test-Bed Leon Hastings 37
Cryogenic Fluid Management for the Aerospace Industry Technology Program Leon Hastings 39
Tridyne Gas Reactor Sizing Patrick S. McRight 40
A Complex-Shaped Composite Feedline for Liquid Hydrogen Philip Tygielski 41
Soft Umbilical Test-Bed Rodney Krienke 43
Advanced Docking Mechanism Alan J. Bean 43
Automated Fluid Interface System Tony Tyler 45
Nick Johnston
Structures and Dynamics
TREETOPS Structural Dynamics and Controls Simulation System Upgrade George Myers 46
Experimental Determination of Preswirl Effects on Damping Seal Performance Eric M. Earhart 47
Measurement of Damping of Advanced Composite Materials
for Turbomachinery Applications Donald L. Harris 48
Analytical Model Improvement Using Singular Value Decomposition
With aOne-Dimensional Line Searching Technique Matthew E Orr, Jr. 50
Automated Signal Processing System of High-Frequency
Dynamic Measurements for Engine Diagnostics Tony Fiorucci 54
DesigonfaCeramMicatrixComposIintetegralBlyladeTdurbinDeisk
Katherine K. Mims 57
TestinogfLow-ProfiCleomposDiteomeUndeIrntemaPlressure
Rafiq Ahmed 59
ACombineMdicromechanFircasc,turMeechanicasn,dStatisticAaplproach
forLifePredictioonfCMC/MMC
James B. Min 60
LifePredictioMnethodolofgoyrCeramMicatrixComposites
Rene Ortega 62
Elastic-PlaasnticdFullyPlastiFcatiguCeracGk rowth
Wayne Gregg 63
BaseHeatinTgestinIgmprovements
Mark Seaford 64
PropulsioCnhemistfroyrCFDApplications
P. Kevin Tucker 65
AnalysoisfFlowfieidOsveFrour-EngDinCe-XRockets
T.S. Wang 66
ThermokineCtichsaracterizaotifoKnerosene/1RCPo-mbustion
T.S. Wang 68
InjectoSrpraCyombustiMonodeling
T.S. Wang 69
Real-TimCeonditioMnonitorinogfPropulsiSonystemTshrough
High-PerformaCnocmeputing
Tom Zoladz 69
Tony Fiorucci
ApplicatioonfRapiPdrototypiMngethodtosHigh-SpeWedindTunneTlesting
Anthony Springer 71
Ken Cooper
FaulTtoleraAnterospace/CommHeeracEitaxlchanger
Jon B. Holladay 73
InvestigatoiofnJetPump-BasTewdo-PhaTsheermCalontroSlystem
Jon B. Holladay 74
Melissa Y. Gard
Patrick L. Hunt
FabricatioTne,stinga,ndAnalysoisfaFlowBoilingTesFtacilityWithEnhanced
SurfacCeharacterizaCtiaopnability
Jon B. Holladay 76
Melissa Y. Gard
Patrick L. Hunt
InsulatioSnystefmor
Ultra-High Temperature Applications Dalton Nguyen 77
Interdisciplinary Thermal/Stress Analysis Greg Schunk 79
Thermal Conditioning Module for Ultra-High Temperature Applications Dalton Nguyen 80
Materials and Manufacturing Processes
Endoscopic Shearography Nondestructive Evaluation of Lined Pressure Vessels Samuel S. Russell 82
LH 2Bearing Test Program Started at the Marshall Space Flight Center Howard Gibson 84
Fricton Stir Welding Robert J. Ding 86
Arthur C. Nunes, Jr.
The Reaction of Nitrogen with 2195 Aluminum-Lithium Alloy: Continued Arthur C. Nunes, Jr. 87
Environmentally Friendly Sprayable Ablator for the Solid Rocket Booster Carl N. Lester 88
Material Robustness Testing and Nondestructive Evaluation Methodology
Assessment for Liquid Rocket Engine Composite Nozzles Raymond Clinton 89
Sensor Technology
A Gaseous Hydrogen Detector System Based Upon a Solid State Silicon Microsensor William T. Powers 91
Gaseous Leak Imaging by Raman Radiation Capture William T. Powers 93
An OPAD System to Fly on DC-XA M. Clinton Patrick 96
Optical Plume Anomaly Detection--Engine Diagnostic Filtering System Anita Cooper 98
Nonintrusive Measurement of Fluid Flows in High-Pressure, High-Speed
Cryogenic Regimes William T. Powers 102
Development of 8-Channel, 16-Bit Smart Card for Pressure Transducers William T. Powers 104
Long-Term/High-Payoff's OMS IVHM Tested--First Pneumatic System With Fully
Automated Checkout William T. Powers 105
Software Technology
Vehicle Health Maintenance and Analysis Using Advanced Statistical Methods
and Adaptive Techniques Anthony R. Kelley 109
Modular Rocket Engine Control Software Update Richard H. Beckman 110
iv
Optical Systems
Large Optic Coating Facility Tommy Thompson 111
Technology Mirror Assembly Testing Ron Eng 112
Specialized Optical Coating Solutions for Astronomical Instruments Alan E Shapiro 113
Edward A. West
Fabrication of Normal Incidence Mirrors by aNickel Replication Process John Redmon, Jr. 115
Next Generation Space Telescope Howard D. Hall 116
Replicated X-Ray Optics William D. Jones 117
Lidar Testing Steve Johnson 119
Technology Development for Satellite-Based Laser Wind Sensing Michael J. Kavaya 120
Mission Operations
Applied Virtual Reality at MSFC Joseph E Hale 124
Polymer Waveguide Output Couplers Michael D. Watson 127
Helen Cole
Expert System Software Assistant for Payload Operations Control Team Mark N. Rogers 129
Richard M. McElyea
Computerized Prediction of Extravehicular Activity Task Feasibility Charles Dischinger 130
Space Environments and Effects
Space Environments and Effects Program Billy Kaufman 132
Research Programs
Introduction Gregory S. Wilson 135
Microgravity Science
Germanium Directional Solidification in United States Microgravity Laboratory-2 Charles R. Baugher 136
Utilizing Controlled Vibrations in a Microgravity Environment to Understand
and Promote Microstructural Homogeneity During Floating-Zone Crystal Growth Charles R. Baugher 137
Novel Directional Solidification Processing of Hypermonotectic Alloys Charles R. Baugher 139
A Demonstration Experiment to Study the Effects of Spacecraft Vibrations
on Thermal Diffusion Charles R. Baugher 140
Particle Engulfment and Pushing at Solidifying Interfaces Peter A. Curreri 142
Fundamental Studies of Solidification Using Real-Time X-Ray Microscopy Peter A. Curreri 143
Solidification of II-VI Compounds in a Rotating Magnetic Field Donald C. Gillies 145
Growth of Mercury Cadmium Telluride Single Crystals Sandor L. Lehoczky 146
Crystal Growth of Selected II-IV Semiconducting Alloys by Directional
Solidification Sandor L. Lehoczky 147
Measurement of the Optical and Radiative Properties of High-Temperature
Liquid Materials by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Michael B. Robinson 150
A Study of the Undercooling Behavior of Immiscible Metal Alloys: The Absence
of Crucible-Induced Wetting and Nucleation Michael B. Robinson 151
MSFC 105-Meter Drop Tube Undercooling and Nucleation Studies Michael B. Robinson 152
Bridgman Crystal Growth in Static Magnetic Fields Frank R. Szofran 153
Containerless Processing of YBa2Cu307-d Superconductors Marcus Vlasse 154
Crystal Growth by Physical Vapor Transport Martin Volz 156
Diode-Laser Holographic Imaging System Applied to the Study of Fluids
in Microgravity William Witherow 157
Phase Shifting Interferometric Analysis of Protein Crystal Growth Boundaries
and Convective Flows William Witherow 158
Mechanics of Granular Materials Nicholas C. Costes 159
Integrated Optics in Films of Organic and Polymeric Materials Donald O. Frazier 162
Polydiacetylene Thin Films for Photonic Applications Donald O. Frazier 164
ProteiCnrystallizatAiopnparatfuosrMicrogravity
Daniel C. Carter 167
MicrograviLtyiquidContainmVenetssel
Dale M. Kornfeld 168
SpacAeerogel
David Noever 170
AProteiCnrystaGlrowtShtudieCsell(Yea3rof3)
Marc L. Pusey 171
EarthSystemScience
InterannuVaalriabilitinyTropicaRladiatioanndWateVrapor
Franklin Robertson 173
MarineBoundary-LaCyleorudasndTheiRr epresentaitnioanClimatMeodel
Franklin Robertson 174
RemoSteensinogfUrbaLnandUseandEffectosnClimate
Dale A. Quattrochi 176
Jeffrey C. Luvall
TheUseoftheThermaRlesponNsuembetorCharacterLizaendSurface
EnergFylux
Jeffrey C. Luvall 178
AssessmoefnBtiomasBsurninogntheHydrologCicycleoftheAmazon
Anthony R. Guillory 179
High-ResoluItniofrnareAdtmospheRriecmoSteensinagndApplications
Gary J. Jedlovec 181
TestinGglobaWl arminTgheorWy ithSatelliPteassivMeicrowavOebservations
Roy W. Spencer 182
SensinSgeaSurfacWeindWs ithPassivMeicrowavTeechniques
Robbie E. Hood 184
RemoSteensinogfWindUssingAirbornDeoppleLridar
Jeffry Rothermel 185
RemoSteensinogfAerosoClompositiforonmCO2LidarBackscatter
Maurice Jarzembski 187
AConvective-StratRifoarinmfaClllassifieforrComposRiteadaRreflectiviMtyaps
Steven J. Goodman 188
TheLightninIgmaginSgensoorntheTropicaRlainfaMlleasurinMgission
Hugh J. Christian 190
Solid-StaLtieghtninFgieldSensor
William J. Koshak 191
GeophysiFclaulidFlowCellExperiment
Fred Leslie 193
Astrophysics
The Burst and Transient Source Experiment on the Compton Gamma-Ray
Observatory Gerald J. Fishman 194
Advanced Gamma-Ray Telescope Gerald J. Fishman 195
X-Ray Astronomy Research Brian D. Ramsey 196
Martin C. Weisskopf
Interferometric Imaging of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect at 30 GHz Marshall Joy 199
The JACEE Measurement of the Cosmic Ray Proton and Helium Spectra James H. Derrickson 200
The Utilization of Direct Electron Pairs for the Energy Measurement
of Ultrarelativistic Cosmic Rays James H. Derrickson 202
Solar Physics
Self-Filtering Solar Telescopes John M. Davis 2O4
G. Allen Gary
Edward A. West
Alan E Shapiro
Coronal Heating Ronald L. Moore 206
Solar Flares Ronald L. Moore 208
Three-Dimensional Rendering and Image Analysis of Coronal Loops G. Allen Gary 209
Fractal Analyses of Sunspot Magnetic Fields Mitzi Adams 211
Space Physics
Ultra-Fast Measurements With the Pinhole Ion Velocity Imager Victoria N. Coffey 214
Plasmaspheric Total Densities Paul D. Craven 215
Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration Dennis L. Gallagher 216
Imaging the Aurora in the Far Ultraviolet James F. Spann 218
Tethered Satellite System Reflight Electrodynamic Characteristics Nobie H. Stone 219
vi
AdvancedStudies
Introduction Axel Roth 223
Space Systems
Space Station Reboost Via Orbital Towing Vernon W. Keller 224
Connie Carrington
Station Tethered Express Payload System Charles C. Rupp 225
Electrodynamic Tethers for Transportation and Power Generation C. Les Johnson 226
Atmospheric Tether Mission C. Les Johnson 227
Project ORION: Orbital Debris Removal Using Ground-Based Laser
and Sensor Systems Jonathan W. Campbell 228
Transportation Elements for the Human Lunar Return Study Mark L. Stucker 229
Thomas D. Dickerson
Research
NASA Air Force Cost Model: APotent Parametric Cost Estimating Tool Carey G. Thompson 234
The Virtual Research Center: An Experimental Intranet Daniel A. O'Neil 235
TechnologyTransfer
Introduction Sally Little 239
Technologies Pour Into American Industries, Spurring Growth in Employment
and New Products Robert J. Lessels 240
MSFC Small Business Innovation and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs Helen C. Stinson 242
Ceramics for Turbomachinery Systems Christopher J. Bramon 242
Mike Effinger
Innovative Development of Joining/Fitting Technology for Advanced Composite
Piping Systems Christopher J. Bramon 244
Thomas Delay
Maytag and NASA Team up to Do the Dishes Robert J. Lessels 245
Robert J. Lessels 246
NASA Technology Helps American Horses Get aJump on Their Competition
NASA Technology Helps Inventor Clean Up Robert J. Lessels 248
NASA Technology Gives Montana Students a Helping Hand Into Industry
and Amputees a Helping Hand in Life Robert J. Lessels 249
Technology Transfer Alliance Industrial Outreach Effort Helping Louisiana Firm
to Recycle Used Tires Robert J. Lessels 250
Portable Seat Lift Benefits the Disabled Robert J. Lessels 251
Marshall Center Book Lists Patents Available for Licensing Robert J. Lessels 252
Computational Fluid Dynamics, Not Crystal Balls, Help in Predicting the Future
at Marshall Space Flight Center Robert J. Lessels 253
NASA Composites Technologies Available to Industry Robert J. Lessels 255
Robert J. Lessels 257
Marshall Begins Testing Hybrid Rocket Motor Technology
NASA Program May Revolutionize Rocket Propulsion and Air-Conditioning Robert J. Lessels 258
Robert J. Lessels 260
NASA Helps Invent Revolutionary X-Ray Instrument
Sometimes It Does Take a Rocket Scientist... Robert J. Lessels 260
Robert J. Lessels 261
NASA, USBI Engineers Turn Into "Roads" Scholars
Space Shuttle Engine Technology Research Benefits Jet Engine Manufacturer Robert J. Lessels 263
Abbreviationsand Acronyms 265
Indexof Contacts 268
Indexof KeyWords 276
vii