Observing the polar oceans with spaceborne radar

The application of spaceborne imaging radar data to polar oceanography and sea ice is explored. Several problems come to mind which are presently ripe with ideas and models, but are in need of new data, SAR data, for any progress to be made. These are the study of the ice mass balance, the ice momentum balance, and the circulation of the Arctic Ocean. These problems are described along with the data which is applicable to them and can be extracted from SAR imagery. Some uses are discussed of these data to explore mesoscale processes which affect the oceans and ice cover

Science, technology, and the national posture note no. 1

Dependence of national science and technological progress on research and developmen

The N.A.C.A. Apparatus for Studying the Formation and Combustion of Fuel Sprays and the Results from Preliminary Tests

Described here is an apparatus for studying the formation and combustion of fuel sprays under conditions closely simulating those in a high speed compression-ignition engine. The apparatus consists of a single-cylinder modified test engine, a fuel injection system so designed that a single charge of fuel can be injected into the combustion chamber, an electric driving motor, and a high-speed photographic apparatus. The cylinder head of the engine has a vertical disk form of combustion chamber whose sides are glass windows. When the fuel is injected into the combustion chamber, motion pictures at the rate of 2000 per second are taken of the spray formation by means of spark discharges. When combustion takes place, the light of combustion is recorded on the same photographic film as the spray photographs. Included here are the results of some tests to determine the effect of air temperature, air flow, and nozzle design on the spray formation. The results show that the compression temperature has little effect on the penetration of the fuel spray, but does not affect the dispersion, that air velocities of about 300 feet per second are necessary to destroy the core of the spray, and that the effect of air flow on the spray is controlled to a certain extent by the design of the injection nozzle. The results on the combustion of the spray show that when ignition does not take place until after spray cut-off, the ignition may start almost simultaneously throughout the combustion chamber or at different points throughout the chamber. When ignition takes place before spray cut-off, the combustion starts around the edge of the spray and then spreads throughout the chamber

Preliminary Tests on the Vaporization of Fuel Sprays

High-speed motion pictures were taken of fuel sprays injected into the combustion chamber of the N.A.C.A. combustion apparatus. Three fuels, ethyl alcohol, gasoline, and fuel oil, which differed considerably in volatility were tested. By maintaining the engine temperature below that required for ignition the spray could be studied from soon after the start of injection until 130 crank degrees later. The results show that the sprays vaporize appreciably so that it is possible for the ignition in high speed compression-ignition engines to take place from the vapor phase

Effect of High Air Velocities on the Distribution and Penetration of a Fuel Spray

By means of the NACA Spray Photography Equipment high speed moving pictures were taken of the formation and development of fuel sprays from an automatic injection valve. The sprays were injected normal to and counter to air at velocities from 0 to 800 feet per second. The air was at atmosphere temperature and pressure. The results show that high air velocities are an effective means of mixing the fuel spray with the air during injection

Characterizing bean pod rot in Arkansas and Missouri

Green beans are an important crop grown for processing in both Arkansas and Missouri. Green beans are harvested mechanically using non-selective picking fingers. Harvested beans are then transported in bulk to processing plants that are located at various locations throughout the midSouth. Thus, the crop is managed for high quality, avoiding pod blemishes caused by insects and diseases. One of the consistent quality problems that affect Arkansas and Missouri green bean crops is pod rot. Two of the causal agents of pod rot that have been reported by researchers and vegetable companies alike are Pythium aphanidermatum and an unidentified Phytophthora sp. In this study, 15 growers’ fields were selected and soil samples (at planting), pod samples (at harvest), and environmental data were taken from each field. Disease incidence for field sites ranged from 0 to 7.3%. Pathogens associated with pod rot were Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Rhizoctonia solani, a Phytophthora sp., and Pythium spp. The two suspected causal agents for pod rot, Pythium and Phytophthora spp., were found in all but one of the 12 field sites assessed for pod rot. Pythium inoculum potential, as determined by a baiting technique, was not a good indicator of pod rot incidence. In addition, soil temperature and water were not associated with pod rot. Pods collected at harvest having symptoms of pod rot were either in direct contact with the soil, senescing leaf tissue, or other diseased pods

The Effect of Injection-Valve Opening Pressure on Spray-Tip Penetration

The effect of various injection-valve opening pressures on the spray-tip penetration was determined for several injection pressure. A common-rail fuel injection system was used. For a given injection pressure a maximum rate of penetration was obtained with an injection-valve opening pressure equal to the injection pressure. As the excess of the injection pressure over the injection-valve opening pressure was increased for a given injection pressure, the effect of the injection-valve opening pressure on the spray-tip penetration was increased

Remote sensing of floe size distribution and surface topography

Floe size can be measured by several properties p- for instance, area or mean caliper diameter. Two definitions of floe size distribution seem particularly useful. F(p), the fraction of area covered by floes no smaller than p; and N(p), the number of floes per unit area no smaller than p. Several summertime distributions measured are a graph, their slopes range from -1.7 to -2.5. The variance of an estimate is also calculated

Some Characteristics of Fuel Sprays from Open Nozzles

The penetration and cone-angle of fuel sprays from open nozzles were recorded with the NACA Spray Photography Equipment. The results show that for injection systems in which the rate of pressure rise at the discharge orifice is high, open nozzles give spray-tip velocities and penetrations which compare favorably with those of closed nozzles. The spray cone-angle was the same for all tests, although open nozzles having different orifice diameters were used, and one nozzle was used both as an open and as a closed nozzle. In designing a fuel system using open nozzles, particular care must be taken to avoid air pockets. The check valve should be placed close to the discharge orifice