Fuel cell technology status

Several major fuel cell projects and their status are described. The fuel cell types discussed are phosphoric acid, molten carbonate, solid oxide, and polymer. One of the technologies is very close to commercialization. Two others offer the possibility for higher efficiency and large capacity electric generation using coal. Still another may be the answer to the key issues facing the transportation sector     

Optimal radar threshold determination in Weibull clutter andGaussian noise

A technique is presented for determining the ideal detection threshold when Gaussian noise and Weibull distributed clutter returns are present on a radar receiver and neither is dominant. Quantitative data is presented for several clutter types and false alarm probabilities     

Partial pressures and nature of products. Application to the photolysis of PH3 and NH3 in the atmosphere of Jupiter and Saturn.

The photolysis of mixtures of gases containing NH3 or PH3 presents important differences mainly due to the strength of the X-H bond. On some examples, these differences are evidenced and the consequences for mixtures of gases containing these two compounds are shown: the photolysis of ammonia and ethylene mainly gives ethyl-, butyl- and hexylamine whereas the photolysis of phosphine and ethylene leads to ethyl- and vinylphosphine. When gaseous mixtures of NH3, PH3 and ethylene are photolyzed together, the presence of phosphine dramatically decreases the formation of nitrogen derivatives. The relevance of such lab studies to the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn is discussed.     

Formation of bioorganic compounds in simulated planetary atmospheres by high energy particles or photons.

Various types of organic compounds have been detected in Jupiter, Titan, and cometary coma. It is probable that organic compounds were formed in primitive Earth and Mars atmospheres. Cosmic rays and solar UV are believed to be two major energy sources for organic formation in space. We examined energetics of organic formation in simulated planetary atmospheres. Gas mixtures including a C-source (carbon monoxide or methane) and a N-source (nitrogen or ammonia) was irradiated with the followings: High energy protons or electrons from accelerators, gamma-rays from 60Co, UV light from a deuterium lamp, and soft X-rays or UV light from an electron synchrotron. Amino acids were detected in the products of particles, gamma-rays and soft X-rays irradiation from each gas mixture examined. UV light gave, however, no amino acid precursors in the gas mixture of carbon monoxide, nitrogen and nitrogen. It gave only a trace of them in the gas mixture of carbon monoxide, ammonia and water or that of methane, nitrogen and water. Yield of amino acid precursors by photons greatly depended on their wavelength. These results suggest that nitrogen-containing organic compounds like amino acid precursors were formed chiefly with high energy particles, not UV photons, in Titan or primitive Earth/Mars atmospheres where ammonia is not available as a predominant N-source.     

Super-optimal CO2 reduces wheat yield in growth chamber and greenhouse environments.

Seven growth chamber trials (six replicate trials using 0.035, 0.12, and 0.25% CO2 in air and one trial using 0.12, 0.80, and 2.0% CO2 in air) and three replicate greenhouse trials (0.035, 0.10, 0.18, 0.26, 0.50, and 1.0% CO2 in air) compare the effects of super-optimal CO2 on the seed yield, harvest index, and vegetative growth rate of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cvs. USU-Apogee and Veery-10). Plants in the growth chamber trials were grown hydroponically under fluorescent lamps, while the greenhouse trials were grown under sunlight and high pressure sodium lamps and in soilless media. Plants in the greenhouse trials responded similarly to those in the growth chamber trials; maximum yields occurred near 0.10 and 0.12% CO2 and decreased significantly thereafter. This research indicates that the toxic effects of elevated CO2 are not specific to only one environment and has important implications for the design of bio-regenerative life support systems in space, and for the future of terrestrial agriculture.     

Infrared spectrometer PFS for the Mars 94 orbiter

Thin films containing a mixture of aliphatic (glycine) and aromatic (tryptophan or tyrosine) amino acids were exposed to a vacuum ultraviolet radiation (VUV) with wavelenghts 100–200 nm. Dipeptides (glycyl-tryptophan and glycyl-tyrosine) were synthesized in these conditions. We compared the actions of VUV and γ-radiation. Polymerization is an essential step in prebiological evolution and we have shown that this stage probably occured over an early Solar system history.     

Galactic cosmic ray radiation levels in spacecraft on interplanetary missions.

Using the Langley Research Center galactic cosmic ray (GCR) transport computer code (HZETRN) and the computerized anatomical man (CAM) model, crew radiation levels inside manned spacecraft on interplanetary missions are estimated. These radiation-level estimates include particle fluxes, LET (linear energy transfer) spectra, absorbed dose, and dose equivalent within various organs of interest in GCR protection studies. Changes in these radiation levels resulting from the use of various different types of shield materials are presented.     

Solar-proton polar-cap intensity structures as a test of magnetic field models

The entry of energetic solar protons to the polar caps offers an interesting way to test models of the geomagnetic field. In this brief report, we present a comparison between SAMPEX observations of solar-particle intensity structure during a polar cap traversal with numerical trajectory calculations using the IGRF + T96 field model.     

The status of qualification of a new separator system for advancedaerospace battery cells

A nickel cadmium cell system which utilizes a polypropylene separator impregnated with polybenzimadazole, and which shows promise of providing an aerospace battery with performance equivalent to Super NiCd, and yet is more cost effective, is described. Background information, cell construction information, detailed test program information and data, and status of qualification are given     

Electronically steerable plasma mirror based radar-concept andcharacteristics

An alternative to using a phased array to steer a radar beam is to electronically control the orientation of an inertialess broadband microwave reflector. Recent experiments have demonstrated that a planar plasma mirror immersed in a magnetic field can be formed with electron densities high enough to reflect X-band microwave beams. A plasma mirror performs like a metal mirror, but it is inertialess. Compared to high performance phased array systems, a plasma mirror based radar system is much simpler and is therefore more affordable. Electronic steering of microwave beams using a plasma mirror permits the use of wide instantaneous bandwidth waveforms. Potential areas of application for a plasma mirror based antenna system include ship self-defense, high-resolution radar imaging, target identification, electronic countermeasures, high data rate communications, spread spectrum links and remote sensing. As a reflector, the plasma mirror exhibits extremely low loss and the reflectivity is very nearly 100%. Since a perfectly reflecting object cannot radiate, the noise temperature contribution of the plasma mirror to the antenna temperature is likely to be small. The plasma sheet can be steered in elevation by tilting the magnetic field, and steering in azimuth may be accomplished by designating cathode initiation sites. Switching times between successive mirror orientations may be less than 20 μs