Aerospace vehicle

A dual structure aerospace vehicle is described which has an aeroshell structure and an internally disposed separable and reusable integral tank/thrust structure. The tank/thrust structure is inuslated for cryogenic fuels and the cavity within aeroshell is insulated from the tank/thrust structure. An internal support ring within the cavity serves as an attachment for lugs on the tank/thrust structure via double hinges. The aft end of tank/thrust structure is provided with rocket engines and exit nozzles with a trunnion supporting the tank/thrust structure within the aeroshell

An atlas of GEOS-3 radar altimeter data for data buoy comparison studies

An atlas is compiled to identify times and dates when GEOS-3 altimeter data was taken in the vicinity of data buoys. The time period covered is from GEOS launch to April 9, 1978. Two buffer areas are considered for each of the various buoy locations to determine the simultaneity of GEOS and buoy data. The two buffer areas are ? or - 0.25 degrees and ? or - 1 degree

Integrated testing and verification system for research flight software design document

The NASA Langley Research Center is developing the MUST (Multipurpose User-oriented Software Technology) program to cut the cost of producing research flight software through a system of software support tools. The HAL/S language is the primary subject of the design. Boeing Computer Services Company (BCS) has designed an integrated verification and testing capability as part of MUST. Documentation, verification and test options are provided with special attention on real time, multiprocessing issues. The needs of the entire software production cycle have been considered, with effective management and reduced lifecycle costs as foremost goals. Capabilities have been included in the design for static detection of data flow anomalies involving communicating concurrent processes. Some types of ill formed process synchronization and deadlock also are detected statically

Daze fasteners

A daze fastener system for connecting two or more structural elements wherein the structural elements and fastener parts have substantially different coefficient of thermal expansion physical property characteristics is employed in this invention. By providing frusto-conical abutting surfaces between the structural elements and fastener parts any differences in thermal expansion/contraction between the parts is translated to sliding motion and avoids deleterious thermal stresses in the connection. An essential feature for isotropic homogeneous material connections is that at least two sets of mating surfaces are required wherein each set of mating surfaces have line element extensions that pass through a common point

A definitive heat of vaporization of silicon through benchmark ab initio calculations on SiF_4

In order to resolve a significant uncertainty in the heat of vaporization of silicon -- a fundamental parameter in gas-phase thermochemistry -- $\Delta H^\circ_{f,0}$[Si(g)] has been determined from a thermochemical cycle involving the precisely known experimental heats of formation of SiF_4(g) and F(g) and a benchmark calculation of the total atomization energy (TAE_0) of SiF_4 using coupled-cluster methods. Basis sets up to $[8s7p6d4f2g1h]$ on Si and $[7s6p5d4f3g2h]$ on F have been employed, and extrapolations for residual basis set incompleteness applied. The contributions of inner-shell correlation (-0.08 kcal/mol), scalar relativistic effects (-1.88 kcal/mol), atomic spin-orbit splitting (-1.97 kcal/mol), and anharmonicity in the zero-point energy (+0.04 kcal/mol) have all been explicitly accounted for. Our benchmark TAE_0=565.89 \pm 0.22 kcal/mol leads to $\Delta H^\circ_{f,0}$[Si(g)]=107.15 \pm 0.38 kcal/mol ($\Delta H^\circ_{f,298}$[Si(g)]=108.19 \pm 0.38 kcal/mol): between the JANAF/CODATA value of 106.5 \pm 1.9 kcal/mol and the revised value proposed by Grev and Schaefer [J. Chem. Phys. 97, 8389 (1992}], 108.1 \pm 0.5 kcal/mol. The revision will be relevant for future computational studies on heats of formation of silicon compounds.Comment: J. Phys. Chem. A, submitted Feb 1, 199

Polarizability of molecular hydrogen

Static dipole electric polarizabilities of molecular hydroge

Factorial Design Applied to Waste Immobilisation in Geopolymer-based Systems

Concentrated alkali, ground glass and air pollution control residues were mixed in various proportions and cured for up to 28 days. These blocks were tested in strength and analysed by thermal gravimetric analysis to assess the success of the geopolymerisation process. A Taguchi factorial design approach was then adopted to investigate the effects of different variables upon the strength development of these blocks

Water monitor system: Phase 1 test report

Automatic water monitor system was tested with the objectives of assuring high-quality effluent standards and accelerating the practice of reclamation and reuse of water. The NASA water monitor system is described. Various components of the system, including the necessary sensors, the sample collection system, and the data acquisition and display system, are discussed. The test facility and the analysis methods are described. Test results are reviewed, and recommendations for water monitor system design improvement are presented