The NASA-Lewis/ERDA solar heating and cooling technology program

Plans by NASA to carry out a major role in a solar heating and cooling program are presented. This role would be to create and test the enabling technology for future solar heating, cooling, and combined heating/cooling systems. The major objectives of the project are to achieve reduction in solar energy system costs, while maintaining adequate performance, reliability, life, and maintenance characteristics. The project approach is discussed, and will be accomplished principally by contract with industry to develop advanced components and subsystems. Advanced hardware will be tested to establish 'technology readiness' both under controlled laboratory conditions and under real sun conditions

Technical and economic feasibility study of solar/fossil hybrid power systems

Results show that new hybrid systems utilizing fossil fuel augmentation of solar energy can provide significant capital and energy cost benefits when compared with solar thermal systems requiring thermal storage. These benefits accrue from a reduction of solar collection area that results from both the use of highly efficient gas and combined cycle energy conversion subsystems and elimination of the requirement for long-term energy storage subsystems. Technical feasibility and fuel savings benefits of solar hybrid retrofit to existing fossil-fired, gas and vapor cycle powerplants was confirmed; however, economic viability of steam cycle retrofit was found to be dependent on the thermodynamic and operational characteristics of the existing powerplant

Historical perspectives: The role of the NASA Lewis Research Center in the national space nuclear power programs

The history of the NASA Lewis Research Center's role in space nuclear power programs is reviewed. Lewis has provided leadership in research, development, and the advancement of space power and propulsion systems. Lewis' pioneering efforts in nuclear reactor technology, shielding, high temperature materials, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, mechanical and direct energy conversion, high-energy propellants, electric propulsion and high performance rocket fuels and nozzles have led to significant technical and management roles in many national space nuclear power and propulsion programs

Reliability and mass analysis of dynamic power conversion systems with parallel of standby redundancy

A combinatorial reliability approach is used to identify potential dynamic power conversion systems for space mission applications. A reliability and mass analysis is also performed, specifically for a 100 kWe nuclear Brayton power conversion system with parallel redundancy. Although this study is done for a reactor outlet temperature of 1100K, preliminary system mass estimates are also included for reactor outlet temperatures ranging up to 1500 K

Carton packs for granny smith apples

THE demand for bruise-free apples by overseas buyers has been mainly responsible for the development of fibre board cartons as export apple containers

Preparation of fruit for marketing — part 2 — handling, grading and sizing

The orchardist\u27s careful attention to such operations as pruning, spraying and thinning in his effort to grow good quality fruit may be nullified to a large extent by carelessness at harvesting or during the subsequent period of handling before the fruit reaches the consumer. The grower cannot afford to become careless at any stage for every injury to the skin surface or underlying tissues of the fruit will ultimately show up as a bruise, puncture or other blemish. Many of these injuries may not be noticeable at the time of picking but will be only too obvious when the fruit is offered for sale

Sensational apple yields - Is this an Australian record?

Msssers. A. J PREECE & SONS of Keysbrook, are the proud owners of an apple orchard which has maintained some amazing production figures for many years. This year\u27s yield of 5,609 packed cases from 347 trees is still 264 cases less than the record yield in 1953, when the trees were 17 years old

A lug box for picking and storing fruit

Pine plantations in this State have now reached the stage when timber (mainly from thinnings) is becoming available for commercial usage, and this opens the way for the fruit industry to obtain suitable material for picking-boxes. For many years the kerosene case filled the need, but with the advent of bulk-handling of fuel this source of supply vanished. Unfortunately, in the intervening years the practice of using export boxes as picking containers, particularly in the apple districts, has become widespread. This has brought many difficulties in its wake and now that alternative boxes can be obtained it is felt that every endeavour should be made to eliminate this undesirable practice

The preparation of fruit for marketing

Fruit production may be divided into three phases, namely, growing, presentation and marketing—each of which is an essential part of the final pattern. The efficiency within each section and the co-ordination between each phase of the industry will determine the ultimate return to the grower. In this regard presentation is a most important feature. For instance, high quality fruit delivered to a good market will lose in value should presentation be in any way unsatisfactory

The half dump for easier and better fruit packing

ONE of the first cases used for the marketing of citrus fruit in Western Australia was the flat bushel, which is similar in size to the long bushel used extensively for pears in Victoria. In a bulletin on fruit packing and the marketing and exporting of fruit issued in 1915, the fiat box was illustrated and recommended as a suitable container for the local market. This case was superseded by the dump case when the Harvey area came into production about the beginning of World War I