代偿服加压条件下的血液动力学仿真

利用仿真方法研究飞行员穿着高空代偿服加压条件下生理参数的变化情况,探索加压对人体血液循环功能的影响及其变化规律,为飞行员高空防护提供理论支持.在Heldt立位应激模型的基础上,针对代偿服加压特性进行修正,建立人体加压条件下的血液动力学模型,同时通过地面加压试验验证模型的正确性.模型模拟得到全身侧管式代偿服不同加压条件下的血液动力学参数平均动脉压、每搏量和每分量,并与试验值进行对比,模型结果与试验值吻合较好,验证了模型的有效性.模型可有效地模拟代偿服加压条件下的血液动力学变化情况.     

低温加压条件下EVA手套的力量分析

为了研究航天员舱外活动时的手套压力和太空低温复合效应对操作力量的影响,选取最大握力和握力疲劳两个指标评价手动作业力量,其中握力疲劳采用做功能力评价.操作力量抓握试验所需的不同温度和压力是通过在低温模拟舱中利用液氮降温以及真空泵抽气实现.结果表明:戴手套对最大握力和握力疲劳的影响都非常显著;与常温常压戴手套相比,压力(29.6 kPa,39.2 kPa)单独作用对最大握力的影响显著,低温单独作用对最大握力的影响并不显著,而二者对握力疲劳的影响都非常显著;在加压和低温复合作用下,最大握力和握力疲劳会进一步受到显著影响.可见手套压力和太空低温复合效应严重降低了航天员手部力量的发挥,航天员舱外作业人-手套系统的研究需考虑复合因素的影响.     

舱外航天服手套的工效问题

为提高舱外航天服手套的工效,分析了影响其工效的主要因素:手指皮肤温度低于15.6℃会使工效明显下降,压力总是对手套工效有显著的影响,形状结构使手套工效存在±50%的差别,好的材料能改善手套关节点的特性.提出解决手套工效的关键在于处理好手套的形状和结构.从舱外航天服手套的设计、制作和增加辅助装置等几个方面探讨了提高工效的方法.并从力量、疲劳、灵活性、触觉、活动范围和舒适性六个方面介绍了评价手套工效的方法.     

基于复合材料的高余压座舱设计

面对我国军机座舱余压偏低现象,设计高余压座舱实现高工效、舒适座舱环境.为解决座舱质量和环境工效之间的矛盾,选用复合材料代替目前铝合金材料,应用First-Order Radio优化算法实现优化.目前座舱余压40 kPa,为提高工效,余压提高到55 kPa,余压值增加37.5%,座舱质量反减轻26.1%,使得矛盾得到协调.基于描述材料特性的本构关系,建立分析材料性能参数对结构影响的有限元模型,并将灵敏度分析Morris算法引入模型参数分析中,结果表明,影响结构的主要参数是蒙皮及环向加强筋的弹性模量和泊松比.基于分析结果对材料设计提出了一些建议.所得结论可为高余压座舱设计提供参考.      

基于Lagrange方法的失重人体建模与仿真

阐述了利用多刚体系统动力学进行航天员舱外活动仿真EVA(Extra Vehicular Activity)的必要性.给出了应用计算多刚体系统动力学建立的通用失重人体4关节反向运动学与反向动力学模型.选取典型的实例,在对其进行适当简化的基础上,运用通用模型对其进行仿真计算,计算时为考虑失重对人体质量、惯量与力量等参数的影响,对通用模型进行了修正.利用能量比较法对结果进行分析,得出当手部的运动轨迹半径与角速度减小、时间延长,髋关节做前驱运动时航天员工作最为节省能量.通过能量比较法计算得到了人体运动时各关节作功最为节省能量的范围.计算方法对航天员舱内外活动仿真及工效分析有一定的参考价值.      

分子筛氧气浓缩器产氧性能实验分析

根据"变压-吸附-解吸附" 压力交变原理,研制了分子筛氧气浓缩器样机.通过不同入口压力、输出流量、高空压力和温度环境实验,测试了分子筛浓缩器样机的制氧性能.结果表明,分子筛氧气浓缩器样机产氧浓度随入口压力和上升高度的增加而增加;随输出流量的增加而减少;升降速度、环境温度影响不大.系统产氧性能基本满足系统工程生理学防护要求,其性能与国外产品有可比性.     

基于视觉搜索的飞机显示界面设计原则

对飞行员在飞行中通过视觉搜索监视各种仪表信息的过程进行研究,探索时间压力和搜索难度两个因素对视觉搜索绩效的影响,从而为飞机座舱显示界面的工效学设计提供科学依据.设计视觉搜索程序来模拟飞机显示界面,并通过预实验确定时间压力水平和搜索难度水平的典型分级范围,在此基础上进行正式实验并记录反应正确率和反应时间.采用SPSS 19.0对实验结果进行双因素分析、简单效应、回归分析等,得到如下结论:不同水平的时间压力和搜索难度对反应正确率的影响具有显著性差异;不同水平的搜索难度对反应时间的影响具有显著性差异,并且在一定条件下反应时间和干扰项数目成线性递增关系;在保证较高正确率的状态下,即在人的认知能力范围之内,不同的时间压力水平对反应时间的影响没有显著性差异.因此,在飞机座舱显示界面视觉搜索的工效学设计中,要将时间压力和搜索难度进行最佳匹配才能取得较好的工作绩效.      

大型客机驾驶舱气流热仿真及舒适性评价

驾驶舱的空气速度场和温度场直接影响驾驶员的热舒适和工效,是驾驶舱结构和环境控制系统设计中考虑的重要内容.对B737-800驾驶舱进行全尺寸三维建模,以高空夜航工作情况为例,采用商用CFD(Computational Fluid Dynamics)软件Fluent计算该驾驶舱的流场和温度场,再用平均温度评价指标和热环境综合评价指标PMV(Predicted Mean Vote)来对驾驶舱进行温度环境客观评价,并采用问卷调查法对飞行员进行驾驶舱内部空气流速和温度舒适度的主观评价.数值仿真结果与主观评价结果都得出B737-800驾驶舱在高空夜航时基本处于舒适的环境,除躯干和脚部由于偏凉而略感不舒适.数值仿真结果与客观评价结果的一致性,验证了大型客机驾驶舱气流热仿真的准确性.     

人体对三级起飞加速度的反应

航天员在飞船起飞时,常会遇到二级或三级加速度作用.为了解这种类型加速度对人体的影响,在人体离心机上,在背角为15°情况下,十名健康的青年被试者承受了峰值分别为+4Gx、+6Gx和+5Gx、每级作用时间为150秒的三级加速度作用.实验中记录了被试者的心电、血压、心振动图、脑阻抗图和呼吸情况,分析和讨论了某些重要的生理指标的变化.结果表明,被试者的主观感觉是良好的,生理指标变化处于正常代偿范围之内,较好地耐受了上述三级起飞加速度的作用.      

飞机界面设计颜色匹配性

针对飞机显示界面设计中存在的问题,开发了一个用于工效学实验的飞行信息显示界面仿真模型.以该模型为背景开展实验,综合使用主观和客观测量方法对不同颜色匹配特性进行了研究.以反应时间作为绩效评价指标,并利用模糊数学的方法对主观数据进行处理.实验得到以下主要结果:确定了不同背景色和目标色匹配的辨识快慢顺序和喜好程度;不同颜色匹配的作业绩效和喜好程度不全相一致;白色/红色、棕色/黄色、暗灰/蓝色、黑色/淡绿、白色/蓝色较适宜作为背景/目标色组合,白色/黄色、黑色/蓝色则不适宜.     

变压力柱塞泵配流盘的压力敏感减振机理

配流盘减振结构是从根源上降低液压系统压力脉动的最有效途径.为使柱塞泵在大范围变化的工作压力点上均具有自适应性,提出一种新型的压力敏感减振结构,采用孔槽组合、在通油孔和排油腔之间串联一个单向节流阀,节流阀开度随着柱塞泵工作压力的提高而增加,以获得所需的预升(降)压特性.优化设计出一种新型的压力敏感减振配流盘,并建立其数学模型.仿真结果表明:该减振结构减振效果明显,对工作压力变化具有良好的自适应性,其压力脉动值相比传统三角槽配流盘可多降低高达27.7%.     

Plants survive rapid decompression: Implications for bioregenerative life support

Radish (Raphanus sativus), lettuce (Latuca sativa), and wheat (Triticum aestivum) plants were grown at either 98 kPa (ambient) or 33 kPa atmospheric pressure with constant 21 kPa oxygen and 0.12 kPa carbon dioxide in atmospherically closed pressure chambers. All plants were grown rockwool using recirculating hydroponics with a complete nutrient solution. At 20 days after planting, chamber pressures were pumped down as rapidly as possible, reaching 5 kPa after about 5 min and ∼1.5 kPa after about 10 min. The plants were held at 1.5 kPa for 30 min and then pressures were restored to their original settings. Temperature (22 °C) and humidity (65% RH) controls were engaged throughout the depressurization, although temperatures dropped to near 16 °C for a brief period. CO₂ and O₂ were not detectable at the low pressure, suggesting that most of the 1.5 kPa atmosphere consisted of water vapor. Following re-pressurization, plants were grown for another 7 days at the original pressures and then harvested. The lettuce, radish, and wheat plants showed no visible effects from the rapid decompression, and there were no differences in fresh or dry mass when compared to control plants maintained continuously at 33 or 98 kPa. But radish storage root fresh mass and lettuce head fresh and dry masses were less at 33 kPa compared to 98 kPa for both the controls and decompression treatment. The results suggest that plants are extremely resilient to rapid decompression, provided they do not freeze (from evaporative cooling) or desiccate. The water of the hydroponic system was below the boiling pressure during these tests and this may have protected the plants by preventing pressures from dropping below 1.5 kPa and maintaining humidity near 1.5 kPa. Further testing is needed to determine how long plants can withstand such low pressure, but the results suggest there are at least 30 min to respond to catastrophic pressure losses in a plant production chamber that might be used for life support in space.     

Atmospheric leakage and method for measurement of gas exchange rates of a crop stand at reduced pressure.

The variable pressure growth chamber (VPGC) was used in a 34-day functional test to grow a wheat crop using reduced pressure (70 kPa) episodes totalling 131 hours. Primary goals of the test were to verify facility and subsystem performance at 70 kPa and to determine responses of a wheat stand to reduced pressure and modified partial pressures of carbon dioxide and oxygen. Operation and maintenance of the chamber at 70 kpa involved continuous evacuation of the chamber atmosphere, leading to CO2 influx and efflux. A model for calculating CO2-exchange rates (net photosynthesis and dark respiration) was developed and tested and involved measurements of chamber leakage to determine appropriate corrections. Measurement of chamber leakage was based on the rate of pressure change over a small pressure increment (70.3 to 72.3 kPa) with the pump disabled. Leakage values were used to correct decreases and increases in chamber CO2 concentration resulting from net photosynthesis (Ps) and dark respiration (DR), respectively. Composite leakage corrections (influx and efflux) at day 7 of the test were 9% and 19% of the changes measured for Ps and DR, respectively. On day 33, composite corrections were only 3% for Ps and 4% for DR. During the test, the chamber became progressively tighter; the leak rate at 70.3 kPa decreasing from 2.36 chamber volumes/day pretest, to 1.71 volumes/day at the beginning of the test, and 1.16 volumes/day at the end of the test. Verification of the short-term leakage tests (rate of pressure rise) were made by testing CO2 leakage with the vacuum pump enabled and disabled. Results demonstrate the suitability of the VPGC or conducting gas exhange measurements of a crop stand at reduced pressure.     

Quality characteristics of the radish grown under reduced atmospheric pressure

This study addresses whether reduced atmospheric pressure (hypobaria) affects the quality traits of radish grown under such environments. Radish (Raphanus sativus L. cv. Cherry Bomb Hybrid II) plants were grown hydroponically in specially designed hypobaric plant growth chambers at three atmospheric pressures; 33, 66, and 96 kPa (control). Oxygen and carbon dioxide partial pressures were maintained constant at 21 and 0.12 kPa, respectively. Plants were harvested at 21 days after planting, with aerial shoots and swollen hypocotyls (edible portion of the radish referred to as the “root” hereafter) separated immediately upon removal from the chambers. Samples were subsequently evaluated for their sensory characteristics (color, taste, overall appearance, and texture), taste-determining factors (glucosinolate and soluble carbohydrate content and myrosinase activity), proximate nutrients (protein, dietary fiber, and carbohydrate) and potential health benefit attributes (antioxidant capacity). In roots of control plants, concentrations of glucosinolate, total soluble sugar, and nitrate, as well as myrosinase activity and total antioxidant capacity (measured as ORAC_FL), were 2.9, 20, 5.1, 9.4, and 1.9 times greater than the amount in leaves, respectively. There was no significant difference in total antioxidant capacity, sensory characteristics, carbohydrate composition, or proximate nutrient content among the three pressure treatments. However, glucosinolate content in the root and nitrate concentration in the leaf declined as the atmospheric pressure decreased, suggesting perturbation to some nitrogen-related metabolism.     

Photosynthesis and respiration of a wheat stand at reduced atmospheric pressure and reduced oxygen.

A 34-day functional test was conducted in Johnson Space Center's Variable Pressure Growth Chamber (VPGC) to determine responses of a wheat stand to reduced pressure (70 kPa) and modified partial pressures of carbon dioxide and oxygen. Reduced pressure episodes were generally six to seven hours in duration, were conducted at reduced ppO2 (14.7 kPa), and were interrupted with longer durations of ambient pressure (101 kPa). Daily measurements of stand net photosynthesis (Pn) and dark respiration (DR) were made at both pressures using a ppCO2 of 121 Pa. Corrections derived from leakage tests were applied to reduced pressure measurements. Rates of Pn at reduced pressure averaged over the complete test were 14.6% higher than at ambient pressure, but rates of DR were unaffected. Further reductions in ppO2 were achieved with a molecular sieve and were used to determine if Pn was enhanced by lowered O2 or by lowered pressure. Decreased ppO2 resulted in enhanced rates of Pn, regardless of pressure, but the actual response was dependent on the ratio of ppO2/ppCO2. Over the range of ppO2/ppCO2 of 80 to 200, the rate of Pn declined linearly. Rate of DR was unaffected over the same range and by dissolved O2 levels down to 3.1 ppm, suggesting that normal rhizosphere and canopy respiration occur at atmospheric ppO2 levels as low as 11 kPa. Partial separation of effects attributable to oxygen and those related to reduced pressure (e.g. enhanced diffusion of CO2) was achieved from analysis of a CO2 drawdown experiment. Results will be used for design and implementation of studies involving complete crop growth tests at reduced pressure.     

复合式离心泵汽蚀特性的数值模拟与试验分析

为研究某型航天离心泵汽蚀特性,基于Mixture多相流模型与汽蚀模型相结合对长短复合叶轮离心泵内乙二醇水溶液进行不同的进口负压下汽液两相定常数值模拟并进行不同进口压力下的汽蚀性能特性试验,结果表明汽化区域随进口负压的增大而扩大。当进口负压在-50kPa,泵进出口压差在155kPa,已经接近额定压差的3%限制范围,此时离心泵的出口压力105kPa为临界汽蚀出口压力;进口负压到-60kPa时,出口流量突变为300L/h,该泵产生临界汽蚀状态,小于技术要求的最小进口压力10kPa,因此该泵在其工作范围内不会发生汽蚀现象,并证得本文数值模拟的可靠性。     

Effects of long-term low atmospheric pressure on gas exchange and growth of lettuce

The objectives of this research were to determine photosynthesis, evapotranspiration and growth of lettuce at long-term low atmospheric pressure. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv. Youmaicai) plants were grown at 40 kPa total pressure (8.4 kPa _pO₂$p_{{\text{O}}_2}$) or 101 kPa total pressure (20.9 kPa _pO₂$p_{{\text{O}}_2}$) from seed to harvest for 35 days. Germination rate of lettuce seeds decreased by 7.6% at low pressure, although this was not significant. There was no significant difference in crop photosynthetic rate between hypobaria and ambient pressure during the 35-day study. The crop evapotranspiration rate was significantly lower at low pressure than that at ambient pressure from 20 to 30 days after planting (DAP), but it had no significant difference before 20 DAP or after 30 DAP. The growth cycle of lettuce plants at low pressure was delayed. At low pressure, lettuce leaves were curly at the seedling stage and this disappeared gradually as the plants grew. Ambient lettuce plants were yellow and had an epinastic growth at harvest. The shoot height, leaf number, leaf length and shoot/root ratio were lower at low pressure than those at ambient pressure, while leaf area and root growth increased. Total biomass of lettuce plants grown at two pressures had no significant difference. Ethylene production at low pressure decreased significantly by 38.8% compared with ambient pressure. There was no significant difference in microelements, nutritional phytochemicals and nitrate concentrations at the two treatments. This research shows that lettuce can be grown at long-term low pressure (40 kPa) without significant adverse effects on seed germination, gas exchange and plant growth. Furthermore, ethylene release was reduced in hypobaria.     

Irradiated ignition of solid materials in reduced pressure atmosphere with various oxygen concentrations – for fire safety in space habitats

Effects of sub-atmospheric ambient pressure and oxygen content on irradiated ignition characteristics of solid combustibles were examined experimentally in order to elucidate the flammability and chance of fire in depressurized systems and give ideas for the fire safety and fire fighting strategies for such environments. Thin cellulosic paper was used as the solid combustible since cellulose is one of major organic compounds and flammables in the nature. Applied atmospheres consisted of inert gases (either CO₂ or N₂) and oxygen at various mixture ratios. Total ambient pressure (P) was varied from 101 kPa (standard atmospheric pressure, P₀) to 20 kPa. Ignition was initiated by external thermal radiation with CO₂ laser (10 W total; 21.3 W/cm² of the corresponding peak flux) onto the solid surface. Thermal degradation of the solid produced combustible gaseous products (e.g. CO, H₂, or other low weight of HCs) and these products mixed with ambient oxygen to form the combustible mixture over the solid. Heat transfer from the irradiated surface into the mixture accelerated the exothermic reaction in the gas phase and finally thermal runaway (ignition) was achieved. A digital video camera was used to analyze the ignition characteristics. Flammability maps in partial pressure of oxygen (ppO₂) and normalized ambient pressure (P/P₀) plane were made to reveal the fire hazard in depressurized environments. Results showed that a wider flammable range was obtained in sub-atmospherics conditions. In middle pressure range (101–40 kPa), the required ppO₂ for ignition decreased almost linearly as the total pressure decreased, indicating that higher fire risk is expected. In lower pressure range (<40 kPa), the required partial pressure of oxygen increased dramatically, then ignition was eventually not achieved at pressures less than 20 kPa under the conditions studied here. The findings suggest that it might be difficult to satisfy safety in space agriculture since it has been reported that higher oxygen concentrations are preferable for plant growth in depressurized environments. Our results imply that there is an optimum pressure level to achieve less fire chance with acceptable plant growth. An increase of the flammable range in middle pressure level might be explained by following two effects: one is a physical effect, such as a weak convective thermal removal from ignitable domain (near the hot surface) to the ambient of atmosphere, and the other is chemical effect which causes so-called “explosion peninsula” as a result of depleting radical consumption due to third-body recombination reaction. Further studies are necessary to determine the controlling factor on the observed flammable trend in depressurized conditions.     

Air-LUSI: A robotic telescope design for lunar spectral measurements

This paper presents the mechanical design of a new robotic telescope that was designed and built to acquire lunar spectral measurements from the science pod of NASA's ER-2 aircraft while flying at an altitude of 70,000 feet (21.34 km). The robotic telescope used a double gimbal design that allowed for target tracking in azimuth and elevation. In addition to the challenging and restrictive geometry of the science pod, each component needed to be carefully selected to ensure that they could withstand the operating conditions at high altitude such as harsh temperatures extending as low as −54 °C and atmospheric pressure less than 1.05 psi (7.23 kPa). Due to the cold temperatures, low atmospheric pressure and the likely exposure to moisture, high strength industrial linear actuators were used to create an adjustable linkage system that controlled the pointing and tracking of the telescope. Although unconventional, this allowed for a robust design that outperformed the team's expectations by tracking the Moon for 40 min with an average tracking error under 0.05°. The results presented within this paper were acquired during a first set of engineering test flights, with further scientific missions to follow.