Retention and application of Skylab experiences to future programs

The problems encountered and special techniques and procedures developed on the Skylab program are described along with the experiences and practical benefits obtained for dissemination and use on future programs. Three major topics are discussed: electrical problems, mechanical problems, and special techniques. Special techniques and procedures are identified that were either developed or refined during the Skylab program. These techniques and procedures came from all manufacturing and test phases of the Skylab program and include both flight and GSE items from component level to sophisticated spaceflight systems

Photovoltaic stand-alone modular systems, phase 2

The final hardware and system qualification phase of a two part stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system development is covered. The final design incorporated modular, power blocks capable of expanding incrementally from 320 watts to twenty kilowatts (PK). The basic power unit (PU) was nominally rated 1.28 kWp. The controls units, power collection buses and main lugs, electrical protection subsystems, power switching, and load management circuits are housed in a common control enclosure. Photo-voltaic modules are electrically connected in a horizontal daisy-chain method via Amp Solarlok plugs mating with compatible connectors installed on the back side of each photovoltaic module. A pair of channel rails accommodate the mounting of the modules into a frameless panel support structure. Foundations are of a unique planter (tub-like) configuration to allow for world-wide deployment without restriction as to types of soil. One battery string capable of supplying approximately 240 ampere hours nominal of carryover power is specified for each basic power unit. Load prioritization and shedding circuits are included to protect critical loads and selectively shed and defer lower priority or noncritical power demands. The baseline system, operating at approximately 2 1/2 PUs (3.2 kW pk.) was installed and deployed. Qualification was successfully complete in March 1983; since that time, the demonstration system has logged approximately 3000 hours of continuous operation under load without major incident

Fire and Life Safety Report Orfalea College of Business

A comprehensive fire and life safety analysis was performed on the Orfalea College of Business. The report covers the prescriptive analysis of the building and the performance-based design analysis. The prescriptive analysis includes assessment of the relevant codes for egress system, water-based suppression system, alarm and detection system, and structural fire protection. The egress analysis under the Life Safety Code 2015 found the building meets the requirements of occupant load to exceed exit capacity, number of exits and its location, travel distances. Four rooms on the second floor that have not met the common path of travel distances limits were discussed in detail in this report. In addition, two locations where exits signs should have been located were investigated in this report. The water-based suppression system was analyzed, and an automatic fire sprinkler system was designed according to NFPA 13. The fire alarm and detection system throughout the building was reviewed. The notification device in Room 300 does not meet required candela rating. The smoke management system analysis indicates door magnetic holder for the exit enclosure on the third floor does not work properly. The analysis of the structural fire protection demonstrates that the building is in accordance to the requirements of the IBC 2015 for Type I-B construction. A performance based analysis of the Orfalea College of Business was performed to evaluate a design fire scenario. The fire scenario was modeled using Fire Dynamic Simulator (FDS), Pyrosim and Pathfinder. The tenability results of the simulation are compared to the established tenability criteria to determine the available safe egress time (ASET) for the scenario. Then, (ASET) is compared to the required safe egress time (RSET). The fire scenario evaluated an upholstered three seat sofa in a break room on the fourth floor. The required safe egress time (RSET) was calculated as 249 seconds and the available safe egress time (ASET) was determined to be 42 seconds when the visibility tenability criterion was exceeded. As part of the evaluation process, there are additional recommendations in the report including exit sings locations on the third floor, obstructions in the corridor on the fourth floor, smoke detection system and notification appliances coverage, and several other recommendations are discussed in more detail in the report

NASA Tech Briefs Index, 1977, volume 2, numbers 1-4

Announcements of new technology derived from the research and development activities of NASA are presented. Abstracts, and indexes for subject, personal author, originating center, and Tech Brief number are presented for 1977

Industry/University Collaboration at the University of Michigan-Dearborn: A Focus on Relevant Technology

https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154106/1/kampfner1998.pd

University of Southern California Heritage Hall- Fire Protection and Life Safety Analysis

This fire protection and life safety analysis is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science Degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The study was performed on the University of Southern California’s Heritage Hall, which includes both a code-determined prescriptive examination and a performance-based analysis. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the Heritage Hall address based on compliance with all applicable codes and standards, as well as the determined occupant tenability criteria. The prescriptive examination of Heritage Hall consisted of the evaluation of all structural fire protection, egress analysis and design, water-based fire suppression, and fire alarm systems. This analysis was primarily performed by utilizing the 2013 edition of California Building Code and the 2013 editions of all applicable NFPA codes and standards. The structural fire protection overview provided an in-depth prescriptive analysis of the conversions made for Heritage Hall during the 2012 renovation project. The latest recapitalization expanded the lower level and added more spaces for student athletes, thus converting those locations to the A-3 occupancy classification. Per CBC Table 601, non-bearing walls and partitions were not required to be fire-rated. The structural update complied with all updated building codes due to a water curtain installed per Section 404.6 of the CBC, which allowed the center museum’s atrium not to be separated by a 1-hour fire barrier. Instead, both glass walls surrounding the atrium were used to create smoke partitions to meet standards. The egress analysis and design was utilized to determine new occupant loads for each floor, remove the B-2 occupancy classification, the creation of a new area of refuge. Per CBC Table 1018.1, corridor walls and ceilings were not required to be fire resistance rated due to the building being fully sprinklered. Only the area of refuge at the lower level was provided with a 1-hour fire rated separation, and existing 1-hour separations, such as the lower level’s exit access corridor, remained intact. Using the Life Safety Code, a building evacuation analysis was performed at Heritage Hall’s lower level. The average evacuation time of all lower level occupants was determined to be 5.43 minutes, with a range of 2.74-8.13 minutes depending on whether occupants used the exit corridor or the stairways. All egress components and occupancy classification were deemed acceptable. The water-based suppression analysis was performed by primarily using NFPA 13 and NFPA 25 codes and standards. A complete analysis of the building’s risers, sprinklers, and system demand calculations provided acceptable criteria for the water-based fire protection system installed. The outside overhang was chosen not to have sprinklers installed due to the large amount of remaining asbestos at the interstitial level near the ceiling. The overhang is made of concrete and directly exposed to the outside. The building’s fire alarm system was installed in 2012, with all new fire detection devices, notification appliances, fire alarm control panel, and a mass notification system. The fire alarm system design was analyzed using NFPA 72, with all spacing and location requirements deemed acceptable for the devices installed. All spot-type smoke and heat detectors are ceiling-mounted in accordance with the open ceiling plan at the lower level, which contains both ceiling and wall-mounted sprinklers. The performance-based analysis was performed using Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), a fire modeling program provided by NIST, and the SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering. Two unique design fire performance scenarios were established for Heritage Hall: a workstation fire in the first floor atrium and a stacked-chairs fire near the lower level exit corridor that prevents its use. In order to establish a basis for analysis and comparison, various tenability criteria were determined for the building’s occupants. The performance criteria consisted of visibility, toxicity, and tenability requirements for the facility, which were compared with modeling simulations created using FDS. The simulations allowed for the determination of the available safe egress time (ASET). Occupant behavior and characteristics were paired with Thunderhead Engineering’s Pathfinder program to provide a required set egress time (RSET) for each fire scenario. While the lower level corridor fire scenario met all tenability requirements, the atrium’s fire scenario simulation did not provide an acceptable ASET, and therefore did not pass the critical occupant visibility requirements for safe evacuation. Recommendations were provided to establish a legitimate smoke barrier per CBC Section 404.6, or an appropriate door separation for each side entrance to the atrium per CBC Section 715.1

The Use of Deep Learning in Verifying the Functioning of LEDs

This article aims to bring an alternative to carrying out manual tests of devices mounted on a production line. One of the tests done by the operator is to find out if the LEDs are present on the device being turned on and working correctly. Image processing techniques were applied in the elaboration of the dataset and the use of Convolutional Neural Networks for the classification of the colors presented by the LEDs and the recognition of their operation. An accuracy of 99.25% was obtained with a low percentage of false positives and true negatives. There were no difficulties in porting the model built to a small computer

Apollo experience report. Guidance and control systems: Command and service module stabilization and control system

The concepts, design, development, testing, and flight results of the command and service module stabilization and control system are discussed. The period of time covered was from November 1961 to December 1972. Also included are a functional description of the system, a discussion of the major problems, and recommendations for future programs

Study and simulation of low rate video coding schemes

The semiannual report is included. Topics covered include communication, information science, data compression, remote sensing, color mapped images, robust coding scheme for packet video, recursively indexed differential pulse code modulation, image compression technique for use on token ring networks, and joint source/channel coder design

FIRE PROTECTION ANALYSIS PROJECT – 9220 ZANZIBAR LANE MAPLE GROVE, MN

This report contains an analysis of the life safety and fire protection features of a four-story apartment building in Maple Grove, Minnesota. The report is a part of the final project intended to meet the requirements for the Culminating Experience of the California Polytechnic Master of Science Fire Protection Engineering Program. The apartment building chosen for the analysis is a mixed-use four-story wood-framed structure. The first floor of this structure includes office space for building management, a meeting space, and various electrical and mechanical spaces as well as apartments. There are exit stairways on each end of the structure extending up all four floors, and a center stairway extending up only to the second floor. There is a parking garage in the basement that is comprised of cinder block walls, steel girders for support above, and metal pan with poured concrete for the garage ceiling. The building is fully sprinklered throughout. This report contains analysis of the prescriptive code requirements as well as the fire protection and life safety features of the apartment structure. Topics discussed include means of egress, fire suppression system, fire alarm and detection and structural fire protection. This report evaluates the International Code Council model building and fire codes and the National Fire Protection Associations codes and standards as a prescriptive code analysis for this multi-tenant apartment building. The building is found to be in compliance with the documented codes and standards in effect at the time of building design and assembly. This report also contains a performance-based evaluation. The performance-based evaluation included in Section 7 of the report describes two design fire scenarios to determine the capability of occupants to safely evacuate in the event of the fire scenario. Both fire scenarios are evaluated for performance-based analysis. Three potential scenarios are as follows: 1) An occupancy-specific design fire scenario that is representative of a typical fire for the occupancy; 2) A fire that starts in a normally unoccupied room that may endanger large numbers of occupants; 3) The most severe fire resulting from the largest possible fuel load characteristic of the normal operation of the building. Selected Design Fire Scenario 1: The design fire involves a kitchen fire in a fourth story apartment unit adjacent to an east egress stairwell. This kitchen fire is based on unattended oil on a cook top igniting and enveloping the combustible kitchen elements, spreading to the living room and dining room. The projected heat release rate maximizes at 4.0 MW with a time to peak following the incipient phase estimated at 136 seconds. This fire scenario also includes fire sprinkler heads located as documented on the design drawings, as well as a fire scenario with the apartment door open and closed to evaluate the impact on smoke spread into the hallway which is a common access egress path. Tenability criteria with all safety features engaged was not exceeded at any point during the simulation for this design fire. The available safe egress time (ASET) exceeded the model run time of 450 seconds. Selected Design Fire Scenario 2: The second design fire involves a fire within the trash room on the first floor, which is adjacent to the center stairway, the elevator, and in close proximity to the east stairway. The fire assumes plastic, wood, and other cellulose materials such as cardboard with a projected maximum heat release rate of 4.5 MW with a t2 ramp up curve equivalent to 0.047 kW/s2. An additional issue is the trash chute that extends up all four floors. This is a metal lined chute with a temperature-dependent release mechanism. The room is equipped with smoke detection and fire sprinklers, in addition to the fusible link for the trash chute. The fire is contained within the room for the duration of the fire scenario and the fusible link to the trash chute activates at 165° F. All egress paths in the vicinity of this space maintain tenability during the 9-minute FDS run time of the model