Solid state power mapping instrument Patent

Solid state device for mapping flux and power in nuclear reactor core

Results from new fungus-tolerant grapevine varieties for Organic Viticulture

Two red and three white new fungus-tolerant grape varieties were tested within a period of five years. REGENT, RONDO, JOHANNITER and Gf 48-12 show a better wine quality than PINOT NOIR or SILVANER and can be recommended for Organic Viticulture as well as for the conventional viticulture to reduce copper and fungicide applications

Closed loop spray cooling apparatus

A closed loop apparatus for spraying coolant against the back of a radiation target is described. The coolant was circulated through a closed loop with a bubble of inert gas being maintained around the spray. Mesh material was disposed between the bubble and the surface of the liquid coolant which was below the bubble at a predetermined level. In a second embodiment, no inert gas was used, the bubble consisting of a vapor produced when the coolant was sprayed against the target

Analytical and Experimental Study of Flow Through an Axial Turbine Stage with a Nonuniform Inlet Radial Temperature Profile

Results are presented for a typical nonuniform inlet radial temperature profile through an advanced single-stage axial turbine and compared with the results obtained for a uniform profile. Gas temperature rises of 40 K to 95 K are predicted at the hub and tip corners at the trailing edges of the pressure surfaces in both the stator and rotor due to convection of hot fluid from the mean by the secondary flow. The inlet temperature profile is shown to be mixed out at the rotor exit survey plane (2.3 axial chords downstream of the rotor trailing edge) in both the analysis and the experiment. The experimental rotor exit angle profile for the nonuniform inlet temperature profile indicates underturning at the tip caused by increased clearance. Severe underturning also occurs at the mean, both with and without the nonuniform inlet temperature profile. The inviscid rotational flow code used in the analysis fails to predict the underturning at the mean, which may be caused by viscous effects

Design requirements and development of an airborne descent path definition algorithm for time navigation

The design requirements for a 4D path definition algorithm are described. These requirements were developed for the NASA ATOPS as an extension of the Local Flow Management/Profile Descent algorithm. They specify the processing flow, functional and data architectures, and system input requirements, and recommended the addition of a broad path revision (reinitialization) function capability. The document also summarizes algorithm design enhancements and the implementation status of the algorithm on an in-house PDP-11/70 computer. Finally, the requirements for the pilot-computer interfaces, the lateral path processor, and guidance and steering function are described

Local flow management/profile descent algorithm. Fuel-efficient, time-controlled profiles for the NASA TSRV airplane

The Local Flow Management/Profile Descent (LFM/PD) algorithm designed for the NASA Transport System Research Vehicle program is described. The algorithm provides fuel-efficient altitude and airspeed profiles consistent with ATC restrictions in a time-based metering environment over a fixed ground track. The model design constraints include accommodation of both published profile descent procedures and unpublished profile descents, incorporation of fuel efficiency as a flight profile criterion, operation within the performance capabilities of the Boeing 737-100 airplane with JT8D-7 engines, and conformity to standard air traffic navigation and control procedures. Holding and path stretching capabilities are included for long delay situations

On the Transit Potential of the Planet Orbiting iota Draconis

Most of the known transiting exoplanets are in short-period orbits, largely due to the bias inherent in detecting planets through the transit technique. However, the eccentricity distribution of the known radial velocity planets results in many of those planets having a non-negligible transit probability. One such case is the massive planet orbiting the giant star iota Draconis, a situation where both the orientation of the planet's eccentric orbit and the size of the host star inflate the transit probability to a much higher value than for a typical hot Jupiter. Here we present a revised fit of the radial velocity data with new measurements and a photometric analysis of the stellar variability. We provide a revised transit probability, an improved transit ephemeris, and discuss the prospects for observing a transit of this planet from both the ground and space.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ. Radial velocities will be made available in the on-line version and through the NASA Star and Exoplanet Database (NStED). Minor corrections from ApJ proof have been applie

An investigation of TNAV equipped aircraft in a simulated en route metering environment

This document presents the results of an effort to estimate how often a TNAV (Time Navigation) equipped aircraft could be given a TNAV clearance in the En Route Metering (ERM) system as a function of the percentage of arriving traffic which is TNAV equipped. A fast-time simulation of Denver Stapleton international arrival traffic in the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center route structure, including en route metering operations, was used to develop data on estimated conflicts, clearance communications and fuel usage for traffic mixes of 25, 50, 75 and 100% TNAV equipped. This study supports an overall effort by NASA to assess the benefits and required technology for using TNAV-equipped aircraft in the ERM environment